


Camera Eye

by Nothing_You_Can_Prove



Series: The Pricefield Playlist [10]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: 22nd Century, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Assassins, Cybernetic Enhancement, Eventual Romance, F/F, Implied Sexual Content, Merc!Max, Mercenaries, Slow Burn, Synths, Teasing, Virtual Reality, minor amberchase, pricefield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-07-28 21:35:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 85,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7657555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nothing_You_Can_Prove/pseuds/Nothing_You_Can_Prove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The year is 2135 and prowling the streets of Neo-Seattle is the infamous underground mercenary, Max “Camera Eye” Caulfield. Hard up on cash, she takes on a job that will forever change her life… in more ways than she can imagine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Camera Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The infamous mercenary “Camera Eye”, aka Max Caulfield, is on her way to accept a job that could potentially set her up for life. Her target, an elusive rebel fighting against corrupt corporations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here is a story I’ve wanted to write for ages so I’m really pumped that I managed to get around to starting it off. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. I shall get round to update other fics soon, I just needed a little change to get the creativity flowing.

" _ **Children are turning themselves into monsters and, quite frankly, it is your fault. You initiated the creation of this technology, then you allowed it to slip through your fingers." - G. S. Jennsen**_

* * *

**Prologue: For Better or Worse?**

_At the turn of the 22_ _nd_ _Century, much changed for humanity. Vast leaps in technology heralded a new age of development that enriched the lives of humans in all aspects, from medical to entertainment. For those who could afford it at least. Those who couldn't were subjected to worse living conditions than had been experienced in over a century, barely scraping by._

_Major businesses began abusing their power over the newly developed technology, using it to create domineering empires and battling among themselves to gain control over territory and resources. This only further widened the gap between those struggling to survive and the high flying corporate bosses ruling over them with an iron fist. Within twenty years, they eventually had all but drained the earth dry of remaining extractable resources. Next they turned to invasion of other countries and space exploration to fuel their ever growing domains._

_Due to the unprecedented number of feuds and turf wars, costing valuable time and money, corporations turned to more violent methods to eliminate their competition permanently. They instead called upon mercenary forces to resolve these "disputes". From this a new respect, and in some cases hatred, was gained for the profession. Many turned to it as a source of income, although only a few were successful or lived long enough to reap the rewards. Those who excelled and survived the ordeal by fire gained a reputation unlike any other. However due to the nature of their job, they had to remain in the shadows, so never truly obtained the recognition for their deeds. Instead, they were forced to grind away to earn a wage so they could afford their expenses. Not to mention having to live with the consequences of their morally obscure actions._

_In America, the largest of these businesses was named the Prescott Corporation, PresCorp for short. Its HQ was situated in Neo-Seattle. PresCorp was systematically taking over each state in rapid succession. The company had begun to turn its attentions elsewhere, that was until their efforts were met with heavy resistance in the early months of 2135._

_While most remained out of the fighting where possible, some individuals wanted to take back the streets and destroy these corrupt companies. One such individual went by the alias "Punk Pirate". After taking out numerous other businesses, they finally decided to wage war against PresCorp, arguably the most amoral of all._

_Unable to deal with this individual alone, the company turned to mercenary forces to eliminate the threat. Unwilling to take any risks, they sought out one of the best money could buy… an elusive mercenary who answered to the sobriquet "Camera Eye"._

* * *

**Chapter One: Camera Eye**

Neo-Seattle, a high octane hive of activity. By 2117, the city was host to many a thriving and aspiring business. Because of this, it became one of the areas most affected by the corporate battles of the 22nd Century. The visceral beauty of the cityscape, with its gargantuan skyscrapers ascending ever closer to the midnight star scattered sky with each reincarnation, overshadowed the deprived underbelly of the city. Those fortunate enough to reside in the privileged sectors had access to everything their hearts desired, while turning a blind eye to the suffering of their neglected counterparts. Charity had long since been dead, with many too focused on pursuing their own happiness and indulging in luxuries to give a second thought to those struggling.

Lurking in the shadowy side streets of such a destitute area was a figure dressed in lightweight dark colored armor, with a visor helmet that had a voice changer seamlessly incorporated. A retractable sniper rifle was attached to their back, along with a small pistol strapped securely into a holster on their thigh and a penknife firmly tucked into a belt. A leather pouch also sat on the belt, containing spare ammo and other useful items. The figure was none other than the infamous mercenary, "Camera Eye" aka Max Caulfield. Very few people knew her actual name for security reasons.

Max moved silently through the streets until she reached an imposing building that stuck out among the other skyscrapers, due to a large logo stuck unashamedly to the front side a few stories up. It was a well-known logo by now, one that had overrun Neo-Seattle and many other cities just like it. The logo indicated that PresCorp had claimed the area. She only regarded this for a second before continuing on into the building with confident strides into the front desk area.

As with all the other corporate buildings she'd entered, this one was just as decadently embellished, maybe even more so than usual. Marble statues, priceless paintings and other famous artworks that no doubt cost a fortune were dotted around the lobby. All to show off of course. After regarding her surroundings with vague curiosity, she approached the main desk sat in the center of the area. One brief discussion with the smiling receptionist later, she made her way up the stairs to the top floor. She avoided using elevators and other enclosed areas where possible. They were too easy to set traps in.

She finally made her way to the top floor, not even breaking a sweat. Once there, she pressed on down the red carpeted hallway, the walls of which were lined with the portraits of the previous CEOs and initial founders of PresCorp, leading up to an intricately carved dark wooden door. Once at the door, she pressed the button on the wall with gloved fingers to signal her arrival. The door opened immediately, lifting upwards and disappearing into the ceiling above. This entire corridor was a mere illusion, designed by the CEO to demonstrate the company's wealth and power. In reality, the entire building was made up of metal hallways and high-tech shutter doors. By using a complex computer system however, this area could become just about anything.

She stepped over the threshold, hearing the door close behind her with a quiet thud. A window overlooking the streets was situated opposite her, in front of it a large wooden desk. Sat in a throne like chair behind the desk was a man with short brown hair and a beard. He wore a black suit and white shirt with the top button undone. He looked up from his work, motioning for Max to take a seat on the other side of the desk.

She recognized the man immediately as the current PresCorp CEO, Mark Jefferson. Ever since rising up the ranks to boss nearly five years ago through less than honest means, which incidentally was about the same time she'd moved to Neo-Seattle, he had already placed his stamp on the company and city… and not in a good way either. His calculated and ruthless mindset had allowed for PresCorp to prosper immensely, taking it to a new height of progress never seen before. However, this had not come without its sacrifices. Much blood had been shed and lives ruined to maintain this level of dominance over the various industries PresCorp monopolized. Hushed discontent whispers of PresCorp's deeds lingered in the background. Very few dared to challenge them directly however as they did not take slander lightly, especially when the rumors were true.

Max took him up on his offer, moving towards the chair he had indicated to and sat down. She would much rather not have to associate herself with low-life scum like Jefferson, however in her line of work she had no choice. The man before her regarded her with a probing stare, taking in her intimidating visage. His eyes lingered on her right arm for just a moment longer than anywhere else, before leaning forward in his chair and placing his hands on the desk.

"I thank you for taking the time to meet with me personally in this very urgent matter. I have to admit it was difficult to track you down."

Max flipped the visor of the helmet up, exposing her icy blue eyes. She spoke with trained intonation, the voice changer altering her pitch to a lower, more electronic one. "I make a habit of being hard to find."

He took a piece of paper from a pile on the desk, scanning it briefly, "Well, let me say that you have succeeded in that." A smug smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he looked back up at her. "PresCorp does however have more than sufficient resources to locate anyone we desire."

She gritted her teeth at the arrogance he was displaying over his perceived superiority. The only way she could be found was if she _allowed_ someone to. There were ways of contacting her for business purposes of course, although these methods were indirect and heavily encrypted. She had no interest in his narcissistic small talk, but had no choice but to play along for now. People like Jefferson loved the sound of their own voice. It was better to stroke their ego in these situations.

He placed the paper back on the desk before assuming a serious expression, one that suggested they were about to move onto business. "There is a thorn in our side that we would like you to remove."

Without another word, he slid a red binder across the desk towards Max composed of a sketchily detailed profile of her target. She drew it closer to her, opening it and scanning the important specifics of the person PresCorp wanted her to take out with faint curiosity. Her cybernetically enhanced right eye focused on the information, taking pictures for future reference. This eye was the reason for her alias "Camera Eye".

There were very few people nowadays without some kind of cybernetic enhancements. They had a number of different uses, from replacing limbs and organs to causing a permanent change in hair colour without needing to dye it every few weeks. She glanced down at her right arm resting on the desk, which incidentally was fully robotic. Some people liked to hide their obvious enhancements with an artificial skin graft. Max however thought that it added to her image. Although, it did get her a few unsettled looks when she did venture out into the public with it exposed. Nobody wanted to admit how rapidly humanity was losing its fundamentals, most of the population now hybrids at most.

She'd lost her arm a few years back before following this whole mercenary thing up professionally because of a stupid mistake. Namely, showing a little mercy to an undeserving person. It acted as a constant reminder to never let her guard down again. She clenched her fist as the memory shot to the forefront of her mind, the metal fingers curling upon command, before turning back to the profile.

The first thing that caught her attention in the binder was a blurred photo taken tucked inside the cover. The only discernable feature of the otherwise out-of-focus image was the vibrant flash of electric blue. Max vaguely recognized the very distinctive shade. She'd seen it online a couple times these past few months, which instantly piqued her interest. On reading the sparsely outlined particulars of the job, her suspicions were confirmed.

Her jobs were almost always the same. Some rich bastard wanting to take out another to open up a promotional spot or cripple another company. This one though… taking out some kind of modern day Robin Hood figure, while not uncommon, was different. This case in particular was intriguing and would pose a significant challenge even for Max.

The Punk Pirate had been hanging around Neo-Seattle for around six months. In that short space of time, they had already made a monumental impression on the city. Not much was known about them, apart from the fact that they preyed on big businesses with questionable moral practice, aka the vast majority of Max's employers. The Punk Pirate had already taken down three major corporations, as well as countless minor organizations, causing a huge scare in the business world. Some theorized that they must be working with a group, while others believed them to be flying solo. Whenever the Punk Pirate hit a business, they were sure to leave a very specific calling card. A neon blue spray painted middle finger on the side of the particular company's HQ. It was a pretty old school and retro MO but it did the trick, striking fear into the shriveled and blackened hearts of the corporate bosses.

Max had to admit, she was mildly impressed by the effectiveness of this enigmatic rebel sticking it to the greed driven leaches sucking this and numerous other cities worldwide dry. She almost didn't want to take the job, enjoying the way Jefferson and others like him were squirming under the intense heat. Unfortunately, she didn't have much choice. The bills didn't pay themselves. She could really push her luck with her demanded fee considering how desperate PresCorp was to eliminate this threat.

With the vital information now stored in her head, she pushed the binder away from her and glanced back up at Jefferson, who responded to her returned attention with a practiced smile. His eyes remained as cold and clinical as before. "I presume you can do that."

The condescending tone of the man sat before Max really set her teeth on edge. It was assholes like this that made her job both financeable yet insufferable too. In the five years of doing this gun for hire gig, she'd come across so many like Mark Jefferson. Smug corporate promotion-hungry types with stupid facial hair who had to constantly over compensate by showcasing their wealth at every possibility. She couldn't care less about their bullshit God-complexes and petty turf wars. All she cared about was the money they could and would provide her for her services.

There was nobody else out there in Neo-Seattle, hell probably in the entirety of America, who could provide what she could. A quick clean kill in such a way that left no evidence tracing back to her employer. Depending on how much she was paid, she could make people disappear off the very face of the earth. As if they had never even existed. It was a skill that took many years to cultivate and perfect. Some didn't possess the patience or finesse to pursue the mercenary life successfully and if they did, discretion wasn't a priority. That is what made her such an appealing option for PresCorp.

Max leaned back in the chair. The frame groaned under the extra pressure as she rested her hands on her flat and well-defined stomach, interlocking skin and metal. "So long as you pay me I can do anything. Not that I necessarily will mind you."

Jefferson offered up a strained grin, his brow twitching from Max's minor resistance. "Well, will you then?"

Max sat up once more, re-adjusting herself so that she was staring directly into the brown eyes of the man opposite her. She was now ready to talk business. "Depends. How much are you willing to pay?"

Jefferson seemed a little unsettled by her now glowing blue right eye, but shook it off after a moment, steepling his fingers in front of him on the desk. "Whatever it takes."

The ghost of a smirk tugged at the corner of Max's lips at this statement. Enough people talked a big game in an attempt to bluff their way through, but couldn't back it up when the time came. She didn't take kindly to being fucked over. Those who had learned that the hard way.

"Those are some big claims. Can you back them up?" She challenged confidently.

This was a crucial stage in the whole process. Deals were made and broken in moments like these, when all the cards were finally laid on the table after the prolonged waiting game. She focused all her attention on Jefferson, staring him down with trained intensity.

He briefly caught her eyes before reaching underneath the table, pulling up a black briefcase and placing it on the table. "I believe that this will answer your question. This is only a fraction of what we are more than happy to give you for sorting out our little… problem."

He put in a passcode, then undid the clips and turned the case to show her the content. Inside were piles upon piles of electronic chips, the new form currency had taken at the turn of the 22nd Century. Normally, most people would have one or two chip that they would fill up when needed. Using numerous chips in smaller increments like this made it much harder to trace large sums of money, therefore making them ideal for shady business transactions such as this. Max idly picked up a couple of chips at random, using her right eye to scan them to ensure that they were genuine. After a few seconds, the results came up clear. There must be a good few million credits in this case alone from her quick analysis. PresCorp probably considered this mere pocket change, but for someone like her it would be enough to pay her rent and bills for a few of months at least, if not more.

"You must really want this one gone, huh?" Max softly commented as she replaced the chips back in the briefcase, satisfied with the proof that they could pay her fees.

A twisted grimace tinged with rage formed on Jefferson's face, his eyes burning with a passionate hatred, "Oh, more than anything." He pointed towards the briefcase still open on the table. "Consider this a gesture of good will on our part, a small tip if you will when you accept, in addition to your fixed fee of course and most likely a much large tip on completing the job successfully. Which I have no doubt you will."

Max exhaled deeply, checking the briefcase and chips over for bugs with her eye, coming up blank again. She could never be too careful these days, although she pitied the fool who decided to tail her. She reached out with her metal right arm, closed the case up and placing it by her feet.

"My terms," Max began, getting straight down to it. "You pay me half now and half when I get the job done. I am to be paid in non-traceable methods directly and for it to be deposited into these account at the percentages and time increments specified." She reached into her pocket to take out a small card, quickly adding on the specific fee she was to charge for this particular mission. She threw the card detailing the accounts she used on deals like these and other particulars onto the table just in front of Jefferson. "If not, I walk and never return. I will contact you tomorrow when everything has been confirmed."

He picked up the card, giving it a once over before nodding without even questioning her demanded fee. "Understood. Expect the first part of your payment within the hour. It's been a pleasure."

* * *

**Thirty-Five Minutes Later…**

Max found herself in one of the most impoverished areas in Neo-Seattle. The run down streets were lined with bars selling cheap, poor quality booze made to simply get you drunk as quickly as possible. On occasion, they had caused blindness in consumers. There were also a few stores selling bland rehydrated meals, majorly lacking in fresh produce and shady back alleys where all kinds of black-market deals took place.

She had chosen this side of town to live in because of its concealed nature… but also because the rent was cheaper. Given half the chance, she would love to live in style with the rich, famous and corrupt. That just wasn't practical for many reasons. Still, it didn't make it any less of a dream. If you wanted to make it anywhere in this world, status was key. Without that, you were no-one and therefore nobody would care if you lived or died.

Instead of rocking up to a five-bedroom apartment with a plasma TV and marble spa bath, Max made her way to her one room apartment tucked away in a dingy alleyway that smelt of piss, body odor and weed. It was a blend that caused her nose to crinkle in disgust every time she came down here. Today was no different.

She finally reached the busted door, fumbling around in her pocket for the rusted key. Some of the fancier apartments had voice, retinal and even finger print recognition to allow access, but not run down shitpits like this place that were still reminiscent of 21st Century architecture. It was any wonder how these buildings were still standing really.

Once she found the slight bent key, she pushed it into the lock and turned it, hearing a quiet click. She wiped her shoes on the worn mat in front of the door before entering, the floorboards creaking under her footsteps. While she'd tried to make the place look presentable, there was only so much she could do to combat the musty smell, no matter how long she left the cracked windows open, and keep the mold at bay. That wasn't even to mention trying to keep the room from simply crumble to dust. Despite the misgivings, it was still her home and had been ever since moving here five years ago.

The space was very minimally furnished. A creaky single bed in the far left hand corner topped with a thin mattress, several scrounged up blankets and flat pillows. To the right was a door leading into a claustrophobic bathroom she could probably piss and take a shower in at the same time. A small metal desk was pushed up against the wall nearest the door, with a high-tech laptop she'd spent an arm and a leg on sat on it. It had been well worth it though. The blue beat up couch sat opposite a TV on a low stand against the left hand wall. Some counters were pushed into the far right hand corner with a sink, microwave and coffee maker atop them. A mini-fridge was tucked beside them, which was empty apart from a flat half can of soda, a questionably off carton of milk and a part eaten ham sandwich from the other day. There was a closet set in the wall to her right, although there were hardly any clothes in there. Instead home to her supply of weapons along with other things needed for her work. Her prized possession, a guitar that had seen better days, was propped against the wall in the corner. Not that she had much time to play it these days. She used to have an actual camera too, but didn't need it now because of her eye enhancement. She could directly upload her photos to her computer whenever she wanted after all.

With her boots now kicked off, she took off her voice changer helmet and stripped off the lightweight armor she'd worn to the meeting, all used to hide her identity, and headed for the shower. She flinched as the cold water hit against her now exposed pale, freckled skin. It took forever for the water to heat up here and she just wanted to crash now. She squeezed out the last remnants of her shampoo, lathering up her mid-length brown hair, and let the water run over her body.

After a few moments, she shut the water off and grabbed a semi-clean towel from the floor. After drying herself off and changing into a basic shirt and shorts, she exited the bathroom. She grabbed the partially eaten sandwich and flat soda from the fridge after some deliberation on its edibility, then flopped down on the bed with a deep sigh. She picked at her food as she used her cybernetically enhanced eye to access the internet to check up on her accounts to ensure that PresCorp had stuck to her terms. As she had specified, three of her accounts had received the outlined percentage of her fee within the allotted timeframes. This put her mind at ease, knowing that she had some funds now.

She'd been living off her last major job for a little over half a year now, along with a few smaller ones where necessary to supplement any deficit and keep her name out there. The money from that was beginning to run thin now and so becoming impossible to live off. That was the only reason she was taking this job. She had to spend most of her hard earned cash on work expenses, which were extremely costly.

They were used to sustain a well-stocked arsenal of weapons and ammunition, to work on general maintenance and constant upgrades with the latest modifications. These included various ammo types, improved sights especially for her sniper, suppressors and increased ammo clips to keep ahead of the competition. She wasn't the only competent mercenary around after all, so needed to maintain that edge. Luckily for her, when she'd entered into the professional mercenary life there had been a lapse in the line of work. There had been a few retirements, disappearances and in some cases deaths of the most sought after mercenaries. This newly created void allowed people like her to thrive.

That was not to mention the monthly bill for her extensive cybernetic enhancements, an expense she was still repaying. At the time, she hadn't had access to the money needed to pay the extortionate fees so she'd had to agree to pay in installments. This of course included an exorbitant interest rate that seemed to just keep increasing. She was so close to paying them off now and with this job she should be set. There were also fees for any outside help she required in her missions, such as expert hackers. She was a fairly competent hacker herself, but some of the jobs she took on were impossible to do alone. There were also a few other things she needed the money for, more personal reasons that took precedent over her own comfort.

When she'd started out, she had to take up any job she could to make ends meet. Very few people had wanted to pay any substantial amount for an untested liability after all. She had more options now thankfully after making a name for herself about three years ago. She had slowly been gaining attention since coming to Neo-Seattle, which had all cumulated in the March of 2132 with her breakthrough.

This job from PresCorp was the largest she had ever accepted and would set her up for a long time. It might even put her in a position to retire earlier than she had anticipated. If she made a few choice investments with the money, she could live more than comfortably until the end of her days. Before she even considered the future, she had to focus on the here and now.

She rubbed at her temples, trying to alleviate the throbbing as she placed the plate and can on the floor before laying down and staring up at the ceiling. She knew that when she woke up she would probably step on the plate and break it, but she didn't care right now. An impenetrable haziness was overwhelming her mind, making it hard to think straight anymore. She wrapped herself up in the various blankets and curled up into a ball as her eyes began to close of their own accord, becoming dead to the world for the next eight hours or so.

* * *

As Max slept, in a bar not too far away sat another elusive individual nursing a beer. Her blue eye not covered up by an eye patch scanned her dingily lit surroundings. The flashing colorful strobe lighting briefly illuminated the faces lost in the mass of writhing bodies, dancing to the heavy bassline that vibrated through the building. On the sidelines were couches, which some were using to smoke or sloppily make out on, hands wandering under shirts and grasping at flesh.

Some were already passed out at the bar, long lost to the world until the morning when they woke up with a mind-crushing hangover and next to no recollection of the previous night thanks to the combination of booze and drugs. There was an unpleasant odor lingering on the air. A mixture of weed, cheap alcohol, sweat and other bodily fluids, but that was to be expected of a shitpit like here.

She could barely think with the noise levels and distractions, which is exactly why she'd come here. She just wanted to kick back and forget about everything for a few hours. Draining the remainder of her beer, she signaled to the bartender to get her another. She wasn't going to drink too much tonight, especially considering what she had planned over the next few days. She needed a clear head to continue making her moves against PresCorp. There was a lot to prepare and a few favors she needed to cash in on before she made her final assault.

Hopefully within the month she would have driven PresCorp out of this town and could begin working on its offshoots in other states across America. She didn't want to become complacent or underestimate her target though, that would only serve to get her killed. In fact, she already knew that PresCorp was planning a counterstrike against her, not that it would do them any good.

They, and so many other businesses, were destined to wither at the hand of the Punk Pirate aka Chloe Price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is the set-up to this fic. Thanks for reading, take care of yourself and see you next time.


	2. Avatar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the required funds now deposited, Max begins her search for the Punk Pirate. Where better to begin than in a place their fans reside?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. Just to let you know I made some changes to the first chapter after the immediate release. It doesn't vastly change the story, just adds more explanation and stuff. Most of the changes are towards the end half of the chapter. Anyway, enough rambling from me. Enjoy.

******Chapter Two: Avatar**

**Four days later - Neo-Seattle, District Nine – Max's Apartment**

Max lounged around in a black short sleeved shirt and loose fitting pants as she stared out of the window overlooking the familiar alleyway from her desk, watching the rain pelt against the cracked glass. It was always overcast nowadays, in the slum areas at least. In the distance, she could see the outlines of the metal climate towers in the wealthier districts used to artificially induce weather the residents there desired. The image enhanced as she zoomed in with her right eye, the pupil contracting to focus on the towers. She followed the thin iron pipes running down on either side of each tower until they became obscured by rooftops.

This technology, just as with every other created, was not without its consequences. Ones that residents in the poverty stricken areas had to endure. One such consequence was the constant mist that hung over the lower streets she could see from her window. This fog was broken only by the reflection of flickering neon signs in puddles gathering in the side street. They belonged to the various bars and stores lining the dingy, desolate paths that had been carved out among the refuse.

With her right eye rapidly re-calibrating to the default setting, she reached up to open the window a fraction before repositioning herself in front of her high tech computer set up. She had many different tabs open, ranging from news reports to company bank transactions, as well as having a blank document on hand to note down promising leads. From the moment the required funds had been deposited by PresCorp, she had been on the trial of the Punk Pirate. It was coming up for four days now since then.

She switched over to the details of her various bank accounts and smirking lightly at the transaction overview. Regardless of what people said about PresCorp, at least they'd paid her half upfront without any stalling. Unlike other employers she had worked for in the past. That said, PresCorp might not deliver on the second half or worse, try to take back what they'd given her. They would be foolish to try, but that hadn't stopped people before. Needless to say, those who had double-crossed her didn't survive the encounter.

A morbid grimace formed at this thought before she turned her attention back to the screen. She switched over to the third tab she had lined up. This particular link led to a virtual forum used to discuss the Punk Pirate. This included, but was not exclusive to: expression of admiration; fanart and fanfics; vid re-enactments of legendary exploits; cosplay pics based off the Punk Pirate's known features, electric blue hair and an eyepatch; discussion of latest successes and apparent sightings, among other things. The people most likely to know about the Punk Pirate were those who idolized them. It was her best lead by far.

This explosive admiration wasn't just a localized phenomenon either, with members from every corner of the globe flocking to sing their praises and appreciation. It wasn't surprising really, since the Punk Pirate had been active elsewhere before coming to Neo-Seattle. They'd started off in places like China and Russia, working their way across continents in search of the most unethical businesses to permanently shut down. Their main targets were companies driven by an insatiable greed, abandoning all morals in favor of making as much money as possible. These companies employed methods such as bribery, kidnapping, murder, involuntary human experimentation and torture to achieve that. Aka every single business up and running nowadays.

The Punk Pirate had been around for five years or so, if Max's extensive backtracking and timestamping were correct. In that time, they had amassed an impressive fan base to say the least. Then again, it wasn't surprising really. They gave courage to the underdogs of Neo-Seattle and beyond. While they weren't the only one working to take down corrupt businesses, the Punk Pirate had been the most successful in the shortest span of time. What they had achieved was mind blowing and awe-inspiring for those crushed under the ever increasing corporate pressures. For those who lived in squalor, their lives ripped apart by violent crime and corruption, the Punk Pirate was a beacon of hope to rally around. It showed them that there was someone out there who actually gave a shit. It proved they could dream of a life free from the constant fear inspired by corporate pressures.

For this reason, Max wasn't quite sure how to feel about her current job. She desperately needed the money for so many, but…. She shook her head violently and mentally reprimanded herself. It was too late to have reservations. She'd accepted the job. If she pulled out now, her reputation would be destroyed by PresCorp and she wouldn't be able to get another any time soon, if ever again. She would be blacklisted, as had others in the past who'd lost their nerve or went rogue… and that's if she was lucky. If not, her life could be forfeit. She couldn't afford to take that risk.

After strengthening her resolve, Max cracked her knuckles and let her fingers hover over the keyboard in anticipation. She took a deep breath to steady her focus and concentration. It was time to put her skills to the test. She loaded up the forum page, seeing the same password encryption she had the first time on discovering the site. Her eyes closed momentarily as she cleared her mind of all distractions. When she opened them again, her right eye glowed a ghostly blue as it pinpointed the screen. Her fingers began gliding over the keyboard with an almost inhuman speed, especially those of her robotic arm. Her eyes never once strayed from the screen as her fingers pounded away at the keys.

The site was surprisingly well-protected, especially for a supposedly fan-created forum. Then again, any association to people such as the Punk Pirate could get you in serious trouble. Caution was understandable. From what she had figured out, it took months of background checks and request processing before you could actually obtain the constantly changing passwords officially. Time she didn't have. It didn't really matter though. Max always managed to break her way through any barriers she came across, whether physical or virtual. It was how she had survived this long, unwavering determination with the skill to back it up. It took her a few moments to hack through. She allowed herself a victorious smirk as the forum page initialized, prompting her to connect up to the virtual dimension. She hooked herself up to the forum server using a wireless connection from her right eye. There were many different ways to access the virtual world, via cybernetic enhancements being one of them. For those without enhancements, they could get specially crafted visors. The experience with this method wasn't anywhere near as raw or immersive that way and very outdated. She created her avatar from the vast selection available, choosing an overly-stuffed fuzzy brown teddy bear with stubby limbs as the base. She added a little red checked fabric patch on its stomach, a small nick on its right ear and an eye-patch over its left button eye from the customization screen.

It was easy to get carried away with modifying or even creating your own avatar from scratch to give it a unique look. That wasn't necessary for her now… while tempting. Some nowadays essentially lived in virtual reality, both for business and pleasure, so the options available to users had to reflect that. This is exactly what the companies now utilizing the virtual reality space had been aiming for. To keep everyone so preoccupied with their own fantasy world that they would ignore their real life problems, allowing businesses to expand unchecked. That is why they had made it so cheap in comparison to everything other technology they offered.

Next she typed in her nickname, settling on **BearWithMe**. She then progressed on to the loading screen, watching the walls of reality begin to crumble around her and give way to a whole new world. One entirely virtual. As she sat there in her apartment, a replica of her mind was being uploaded to the system, linking her to billions of other users worldwide. It had been such a weird out of body experience entering virtual reality for the first time, a feeling Max remembered well as being disorienting and vomit inducing. It didn't faze her anymore though. While in virtual reality, speech, emotions and movements were all broadcast outside of the physical body. During the duration of time spent in virtual reality, the body was placed into a state of induced sleep.

Once the upload was complete, she woke at the start up point all users found themselves after connecting. Most of the initial area was a swirling mass of blue, with several access points leading into the simulated world. These entrances were programmed to look like doors to help with orientation for first time users. Max took a moment to examine her fellow avatars, finding all sorts of different designs. From human to mystical creatures to weird unidentifiable objects. You could be anybody or anything you wanted without restrictions and have complete anonymity. That was the biggest appeal of virtual space.

Max joined the line accumulating by the nearest door leading into the virtual world. There must be a good hundred or so people waiting to enter, with more coming by the minute. There was an electric counter above each door, showing how many people were live in neon blue digital font. Right now, the counter was hitting just under one billion visitors out of a possible twelve billion people worldwide. This was considered an off-peak time to be connected for a resident of Neo-Seattle. The different time zones made sure there was a steady rotation of temporary guests among the regulars.

Now at the front of the queue, Max took a deep breath and stepped through the door that led out of a building into a winding alleyway. After re-orienting herself, she made her way forward out onto the main street. The first thing she noticed was how bright, colorful and clean her surroundings were. Unlike the reality that awaited her when she finally disconnected, bleak and monochrome. This entire place was a simulation designed to show what the cities of the world could be like without corrupt corporate intervention. It demonstrated what could be if money and resources were used to help the public as opposed to fueling the wanton greed of a select few individuals.

The air here felt so fresh and crisp as the cool breeze ruffled her avatar's fur, with the sun shining down providing a pleasant heat. Among the towering buildings, patches of nature were seamlessly incorporated. There were very few areas like this left in Neo-Seattle by the end of the 21st Century, nature having all but been pushed out of the city. Of course, this had disastrous effects on the carefully balanced ecosystem and atmosphere. Many species had died out, with new ones evolving to fill the void. The oxygen levels had plummeted by the eve of the 22nd Century with poisonous gases increasing to dangerous levels. Some areas became completely uninhabitable, while others required residents to wear face masks to combat the fluctuations. It had taken several years for the government to finally develop the technology to successfully regulate the air artificially and they were indebted to certain major businesses because of it. PresCorp happened to be one of the main leaders on that project in Neo-Seattle. Even now, residents wore masks as a political fashion statement. A reminder of the continuous dark history of the city.

Max decided to forget about where she had come from for now and just enjoy this, like everybody else. It was rare that her work took her to such pleasant areas, so she had to take advantage of it. There was the option to download a tour guide to help navigate around this space, however Max declined. She wanted to leave as little evidence of being here as possible. Those overseeing the server no doubt kept logs of all conversations and downloads of guests immersed in the forum for security reasons. There was probably a tracker in the tour guide itself to keep an eye on who was here and where they went. Something she really didn't want.

She scanned the area, locating the most densely populated place to explore first. This happened to be a diner just down the street. The more people around, the better her chances of picking up on something to help her in her search. She made her way over to the diner, effortlessly blending in with her fellow users. Once inside, she ordered a black coffee and took one of the last free tables. As she sipped at the steaming drink, which didn't provide any satisfaction outside of the virtual reality but still tasted better than the ones her coffee maker at home made, she paid close attention to her surroundings. Most of the things she heard were irrelevant to her mission. Mostly just idle chatter about the Punk Pirate's reputation and fangirling, which is why people came here after all. The minutes passed like this until she had been sitting there for half an hour nursing her coffee. She was just about to move on when something piqued her interest.

A wolf avatar with electric blue fur, piercing azure eyes and off-white fangs, the tips of which were just visible, lounged around casually in one of the chairs at the table to Max's right. It'd entered the diner about ten minutes ago along with another avatar, a golden furred lion with a single blue streak just off centre to the left in its sun streaked mane. The two of them had been chatting absentmindedly among themselves as they enjoyed their orders. Up until this point anyway.

The wolf downed its drink, crushing the disposable cup in its clawed paws with ease, before carelessly tossing it to the ground. "Dude, I heard a rumor that Punk is walking around this very district in a nearby bar. No joke. Can you believe it?"

Max sat there calmly, not reacting to the information she'd just heard. She simply took another sip from her coffee. The lion's ears prick up at this as it rests its chin on its paw, a curious glint flashing across its warm hazel eyes.

"Which one?"

"District nine's Elysium." The wolf clarified as it scratched at its head with sharp claws.

Each major American city was now separated into districts one to nine. One being the richest area where all the corporate big shots lived, and nine being the slums. The closer you were to the sky, the better you were doing as a rule. District one's distant skyscrapers dwarfed district nine's ground, and in some cases underground, level communities. There were very heavily guarded borders separating the various districts to ensure that those from lower districts didn't get overly familiar. Bribery went a long way, but most people didn't have the money or desire to do the things needed to get through. There were other ways, like the sewers, but even then you could get caught and punished severely.

Unless you were authorized by a member of the specific district you wished to enter and filled out the necessary paperwork, worked your way up in the world or gained the skill to hack into the system undetected, there was little chance of ever making it out of the district you'd found yourself in when the government, essentially a shadow puppet for corporations, started enforcing the district lines in 2124. That was coming up for a little over ten years ago now.

Elysium was one of the higher quality bars in district nine, not that it meant much considering what pissholes the others were. Tucked away in a dead end side street once the territory of a gang, before they messed with PresCorp and disappeared under mysterious circumstances, Elysium was the physical manifestation of a drug-induced hazy dream. If you weren't already pumped full of drugs on entering, you'd be exposed to enough fumes by the time you sat down to get a pretty trippy contact high. Its clientele mostly comprised of district nine's wealthier residents, such as crime ring members and black market dealers.

The lion's hazel eyes flickered with mild disappointment as it stirred some sugar into a cup and took a modest bite of a double chocolate muffin, chewing thoughtfully before replying. "Oh man, I wish I could've seen them. So jealous."

The wolf absentmindedly picked at its teeth. It briefly examined whatever had previously been stuck before flicking it away in a random direction. "You're telling me."

Max hung around for a while, ordering another coffee and a muffin, a choice inspired by the one the lion avatar had. It would look suspicious if she simply vanished after hearing this information, which had come so easily that part of her wondered if it was a trap or trick. Then again, she was more than capable of dealing with threats. Besides, it was her only solid lead right now.

After draining the dregs of her coffee and wiping the remaining crumbs from her mouth, Max stood up and exited the diner. She made her way back to the first area by following one of the many sign-posted exits so as to disconnect. In a way, she didn't want to leave this place. She could understand why some people stayed here as much as possible. Everyone seemed so happy and carefree, not like back in Neo-Seattle where terror and misery ran the city. Her brow furrowed slightly when she thought about what would happen to a place like this if she managed to find and eliminate the Punk Pirate. It would no longer be the warm, friendly community full of hope and promise. Instead it would serve as another cruel reminder not to fuck with the social order. A graveyard of blind optimism and wasted potential.

Maybe coming here had been a huge mistake on her part, but it was the only way to even get close to finding the Punk Pirate. Max had known that the Punk Pirate symbolized a better future for those in need, but she hadn't realized until now quite how many people clung onto that vision until now. Still, she had a job to do and couldn't let emotions get in the way. She was little more than a tool at this point, carrying out PresCorp's orders.

* * *

On seeing the bear avatar swiftly leave, the wolf and lion exchanged curious glances. They finished up and exited the diner, striding back to the first room to disconnect. The bodies of the people behind the avatars slowly began to wake. After a few moments, the two women once controlling the electric blue wolf and the golden lion avatars stood up from their chairs.

The woman who had been using the lion avatar pushed her the fringe of her long blonde hair out of her hazel eyes. The left side had been partially shaved, exposing a single blue feather earring at the bottom and a golden stud helix piercing near the top. She wore a long sleeved, round necked black shirt with four small rib shaped leather patch details evenly spaced on the front. The sleeves had huge rips down the outer side, starting just below her shoulder and ending at the top of her wrist. Electric blue thread crisscrossed over the exposed skin, with four-inch black bands encircling her elbows. Her tight fitting dark leather pants were ripped at the knees, with small metal spikes lining the top and bottom of the rips. They were tucked neatly into short black laced-up boots. There was also a pistol holster strapped to her right thigh, which for now remaining empty.

"We need to get comfier chairs if we're going to be hanging around in cyberspace for that long." She rolled her shoulders in an attempt to alleviate the aching.

The other woman, a tall and lanky bluenette, stretched her arms above her head with a loud crack. One of her mischievous blue eyes was covered with an eyepatch. She wore a sleeveless black shirt exposing a full length tattoo sleeve. It depicted a skull adorned with a red flower just off center, vines and a red ribbon twisting along the length of her arm and blue butterflies settling at the top. The tattoo was partially covered by numerous black and white bands attached to her wrists. Her black patched up pants were carelessly pushed into long boots covering the majority of her calves, the fabric bunching up at the top. A neon blue half face mask with a black skull in the center hung down from her neck along with a necklace. The three metal bullets attached to the chain settled along her sternum. Her almost chin length blue hair faded to a light purple at her roots, although this gradient was hidden right now by a washed-out beanie. Her silver horizontal bridge piercing, the ends of which were pointed, reflected the dim light as she moved her head to face the other girl.

"You may have a point there, Rach." She conceded, cracking her knuckles.

Once they had sufficiently limbered up, they exited the claustrophobic room filled with various wires, pipes and electronics. They entered into the smaller main section of an abandoned warehouse in district nine. The space was filled with makeshift furniture, salvaged trinkets and covered floor to ceiling with graffiti. The most noticeable tag art was of a neon blue spray painted middle finger. They made a beeline for a beat-up couch pushed up against the furthest brick wall, flopping down onto it with a tired sigh.

"You think that was them, Chloe?" Rachel asked with curiosity, turning her head to her companion sat beside her.

Chloe's mind wandered back to the bear avatar, even now getting a weird vibe from it. "Maybe. They appeared to be looking for something and it would make sense to go to the place with the highest frequency of people if you wanted info. The only info they could want by going on that specific forum would be related to me."

That wasn't the only thing that had struck her as odd though, something Rachel had also picked up on. "Well, I couldn't trace the person behind that avatar's location. Of course, it could just be that the person behind it didn't want people on the forum to know where they lived, paranoia if the enforcers find out, but most people don't give a shit. Especially since everything is heavily encrypted anyway."

Chloe might not have paid it any mind, but she had heard some pretty interesting intel from the people she had infiltrate PresCorp as employees a few weeks ago. She slumped back in the couch further, hearing the springs groan under her.

"I heard PresCorp has finally had enough and hired a merc to take me out… and not just anyone."

Instead of looking worried, Rachel seemed more curious than anything about this info. "I wondered why you were doing all this. Which one?"

"Camera Eye."

She knew a bit about the infamous mercenary, or at least what the rumors claimed. Camera Eye had a tragic backstory, losing their parents at the young age of thirteen and having to fend for themselves on the streets. A merc group stumbled across them, taking Camera Eye in and trained them up. On turning 21 in 2130, Camera Eye relocated to Neo-Seattle to make a name for themselves with the skills they had been taught by the merc group.

Rachel smirked at this. "Damn, they seriously want to get rid of you, huh?"

"I'm flattered that they would consider me such a threat," Chloe quipped with a smug grin. "They're right to."

Rachel nudged her in the ribs with her elbow. "They'd need a whole army before they'd take you down."

"Damn right!" Chloe chuckled heartily, placing her hands behind her head. "I'm not going down so easily."

Rachel tilted her head to the side slightly, shuffling in the couch a bit to avoid the springs from sticking in her leg. "What are you going to do now?"

She wasn't sure what Chloe had planned. Then again, nobody did, not even Chloe herself as she often improvised. There really was only one thing left to do. Chloe launched herself off the couch with surprising grace, grabbing her dark colored hooded jacket off the back of the couch and shoving her arms into it.

"I think a trip to Elysium is in order, don't you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have an awesome day guys, stay safe out there and see you next time.


	3. Elysium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now with a potential lead, Max goes to investigate Elysium. Maybe she will find more than she was expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I hope you are doing well today. Here is the next chapter for you. Enjoy.

**Chapter Three: Elysium**

**District Nine – Lower Streets – Outside Elysium**

As the night drew in, the area became a thrum of activity. This was when District Nine came alive. With shady back street deals, violent turf wars and hardcore clubbing, this normally lifeless district exploded with energy. Not necessarily positive. It was the kind that would smother you within an inch of your life if you stayed too long. Drag you down into the very depths of despair, kicking and screaming. If you were lucky enough to survive, it changed you. Forever.

Innocence had no place here.

For Max, it didn't matter. She had lost any last remnant of that before she came to Neo-Seattle anyway. That is why she could blend in so well. It was easy enough to tell which district people belonged in by their aura. Those in the higher districts still had their blind hope and optimism. It almost seemed to radiate from them. The same could not be said for residents in the lower districts. District Nine especially was a sink hole of wasted potential. Where hopes and dreams came to die.

Max fixed the sloping collar of her jacket as she waited in the queue leading up to Elysium's entrance. She lightly tapped one of her calf-length boots on the ground and crossed her arms to keep the midnight chill at bay. Her breath spiraled before her in a wisp. Everybody around her looked sullen and haggard, not to mention drugged up. Very few people managed to stay clean these days. Not that she could blame them. In fact, District One inhabitants were probably the largest consumer. They just had access to the good stuff. Drugs that didn't give them disturbingly vivid hallucinations that lasted way too long and quickly evolved into nightmare fuel.

After rolling her shoulders, Max turned her attention to the flickering electronic sign above the door. Since entering Neo-Seattle she had been to her fair share of bars, although it was mostly to pursue targets. On occasion she came simply to pass the time, just watching other people. She had always been a passive participant in life, preferring to observe those around her. You could really pick up on a lot by taking a step back.

At the door were two broad shouldered bouncers with steely glares. The one on the left really caught Max's attention and received uneasy glances from nearly everybody waiting to enter the bar. Their frame was entirely metallic, an unashamedly obvious Synth. It was rare to see one like this. Most were covered with artificial skin to hide their metallic frame. Places like this often abused people's fears of Synths to keep them in line. It was effective too. No doubt this particular Synth would be a VI, not an AI. These kinds of places wanted unwavering obedience, not adaptability or unprompted learning.

The implementation of VIs, or Virtual Intelligence, had begun during the 21st Century, however had not been perfected until the verge of the 22nd. They were an invaluable asset to those who could afford it… or steal and modify one. Depending on the need they came in all shapes and sizes, from human to animal to object forms. They performed tasks in many fields such as domestic, organizational, medical, educational and sexual just to name a few.

The Synth guard eyed her up with a stern glare as she headed on through to the bar. Her senses were immediately assaulted by the musty odors, flashing neon lights and electronic synthwave beats. The violent bassline pulsated through her body as she weaved her way through the mass of writhing bodies. When she finally made it to the bar counter, the bartender nodded discreetly at her as she approached. She returned the nod as she ordered a drink using the VI interface. Not that she had much intention of actually starting it. It was merely for show.

After choosing a drink dubbed "Elysirum", a unique special only available at Elysium apparently, she headed on over to one of the side-line couches. The liquid glowed a faint blue as the ice clinked against the glass. Once seated, Max decided to allow herself one sip… just out of curiosity. She hesitantly brought the glass to her lips, taking a modest mouthful. Surprisingly, it tasted pretty good. With dark oaky undertones and a spicy kick, but also faint hints of sweetness. That was until the aftertaste at least. She placed the drink back on the table, having no desire to experience that again.

Her right eye adjusted the brightness of her surroundings automatically so she could observe the bar patrons. Just to her right two couches over, sat a man with short dirty blonde hair and a goatee. His appearance was extremely threatening, from the various tattoos covering his body to his cold, unblinking eyes. He eyeballed the crowd with a disapproving scowl as he downed his drink. Laying by his feet was a dog, its tail wagging happily as it munched down on a bone. Max recognized him as one of the major drug dealers in District Nine. Frank Bowers was his name if she remembered correctly. He was probably here on business. Bars like this were perfect neutral dealing grounds.

A few other familiar faces emerged from the horde. Mostly low ranking crime ring members and black market dealers. No-one of particular importance. Just then, a flash of vibrant blue hair caught Max's eye. Her gaze landed on two women dancing just to the edge of the sweaty crowd. Although they seemed a little pre-occupied and distracted. Maybe they were on something, like literally everyone here. One was shorter with long blonde hair shaved on one side, while the other was a lanky bluenette.

While having blue hair wasn't all that uncommon nowadays, this particular shade was iconic. Then again, she could just be a huge fan of the Punk Pirate. Or a decoy. It would be counter-productive and dangerous for the Punk Pirate to come here. Unless they set all this up for some reason. It wasn't beyond the realms of possibility. What would they gain from it though?

The woman with blue hair turned to her companion. After a moment, the other woman nodded and disappeared off deeper into the crowd. Max casually grabbed the glass from the table and swirled the liquid, glancing up subtly. The woman with blue hair was very slowly drifting over to the side-lines. Towards Max. Within a few moments, she was stood in front of Max. After taking a deep breath, Max fixed her gaze on this woman. There was an air of confidence surrounding her. Something about her left eye seemed… odd. Max couldn't quite pinpoint exactly what though. Without saying a word, she slid onto the other end of the couch.

Once settled, she turned to Max and pointed down at the table to the glass. "You gonna drink that?"

"No." Max answered truthfully. She would be avoiding that drink like the plague.

The other woman shrugged and grabbed the glass, downing the contents in one. A few seconds passed until her face crumpled up in disgust. "Ugh… dude you could have warned me."

A small smile quirked at Max's lips. "You didn't ask why I wasn't drinking it or give me the time to tell you. Besides, we're in District Nine. What did you expect?"

"Well, booze is booze at the end of the day. I've had worse." The woman commented nonchalantly as she reclined back further into the couch.

"I find _that_ hard to believe." Max chuckled softly. Out of all the bars she had visited, and the very few drinks she had sampled, this one had been by far the worst. She didn't even want to imagine something tasting viler than this.

This earned Max a light smirk from the other woman. "Then don't go to Eidolon then. That shit is nasty there. Worst hangover I've ever had. I really thought I was gonna internally combust or something."

"Isn't that a Synth dominated bar?" Synth tastes were vastly different to that of humans and they had a much higher tolerance as a rule too. It would make sense that alcohol catered to Synths wouldn't sit well with human bodies.

"You gotta try everything once," the other woman casually remarked as she cracked her knuckles. "Otherwise, what's the point? You just end up missing out."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it." Many people played it safe, stuck with what they knew. Even if they hated it. That mentality might be why the world was in such a mess. Nobody wanted to take risks for fear of the potentially grave consequences.

With a shrug, the other woman responded simply. "Somebody's got to think that way."

For now, Max decided to play along with this conversation and see where the night led her. If this was the Punk Pirate, then she would have the chance to place a discreet tracker or even carry out the job tonight if the opportunity arose. If not, it would make her seem less suspicious to blend in if Punk was watching. Besides, Max was only human. Even she got lonely sometimes.

"I can almost see those brain cogs turning. Loosen up a bit." The other woman gently nudged her shoulder to get her attention.

Max shook her head and turned to the woman with a smile. "That's why I came here in the first place."

"Stress getting you down?" She asked sympathetically while playing around with the now empty glass.

She wouldn't be wrong. Everything about Neo-Seattle was stressful. Especially the lifestyle Max had come to lead. Her job wasn't as easy as people thought. It was much more than simply killing. She had spent the past couple of days endlessly searching for leads, not getting much sleep. As well as having to call in a few favors. It was exhausting.

"You could say that. Life just seems to keep chucking shit my way." Max sighed deeply, rubbing at her temples with her hand.

A small smile tugged at the woman's lips, tinged with melancholy. "I hear that. It's like a never ending stream," she pointed towards the glass from earlier. "That's why I drink."

"I think that's why most people drink nowadays." Max pointed out matter-of-factly. There really wasn't much to hope for in District Nine. Surviving the harsh conditions could be seen as a miracle in itself. People would do pretty much anything to escape that reality. Be it through drugs, drink, sex, virtual fantasy or various combination of those options.

"Haven't they always?" Her index finger circled around the rim of the glass as she replied. After a moment, she took a deep breath and turned her gaze to Max. "I'm Chloe by the way."

"Max." It was harder to maintain a lie than just tell the truth here. She wasn't exactly giving herself away by doing this. Very few people knew her real name. Besides, Max was a common enough name to not worry.

"Max, huh?" She appeared to be deep in thought for a moment. "Is that short for anything?"

"Yeah, but it's always Max." It had been that way ever since she was thirteen. 'Maxine' had died with her parents.

"I see, fair enough," Chloe shrugged, not pushing any further. Which was a nice change. Some people couldn't take a hint. Her eyes wandered down to the metal arm, the sight inspiring a flicker of excitement. "Dude, that is ubercool."

Max glanced down at her metallic hand. Most of her arm was covered by her jacket, to be a little more discreet. Her hand clenched as she examined it, watching the carefully crafted joints slide over one another. "I think so."

"I bet you can do all sorts of things with that." Chloe tilted her head curiously, her eyes locked onto the visible parts of the arm. It was rare to see someone with such a visible replacement body part, so her interest was understandable.

This brought a smile to Max's lips. "You'd be surprised."

"I bet." She mentioned with a suggestive smile, raising an eyebrow.

It really was handy. Much more practical than an arm made of bone and flesh anyway. At first it had been strange. But then so was life. She had gotten used to it. As with everything else.

Chloe suddenly leaned in closer, whispering softly in Max's ear. "This place blows. How about we go somewhere more… private?"

Max knew there were private rooms here. As in every single bar in District Nine and beyond that. If you had the money, you could use them however you liked. As long as you made sure to clean up any mess before leaving. They served many purposes, mostly to conduct 'delicate' business deals. Still, some people used them for… other things. With VIs around catering to people's needs, most didn't bother finding other humans for company. Especially in the higher districts where people could afford it. Despite this it did happen, most commonly in the lower districts.

This was the perfect opportunity to get Chloe alone to verify, but also to walk right into a trap. Maybe this was more of a challenge than anything. If she was the Punk Pirate, then this was too good to miss. Wherever it led Max.

With a single nod, Max followed Chloe over to the bar. They weaved their way through the crowd. The bartender caught Chloe's eye and simply nodded, slipping her a key card. In exchange, she handed over a chip and motioned for Max to follow her. Keeping close behind so as to not lose her, Max walked through a hidden door. To the untrained eye, it just looked like part of the wall. She hadn't actually been back here before. A long hallway stretched out either side, running along the entire length of the building. From a quick head count, there were at least ten rooms. As they walked past, some were obviously occupied. The VI interfaces beside the door seemed to change color to indicate this. When they reached the end of the hallway, Chloe pressed the card to the interface before heading on inside. Max followed her in, closing the door behind her and hearing a soft click.

Max had come prepared for any eventuality. It was surprising how many weapons you could conceal if you tried. She ran her finger subtly along the knife hidden in her belt, ready to attack if needed. Her eyes were trained on Chloe as she went to go sit down on the bed, then voted against it. Who knows what had gone on there. Instead, she leaned against the wall. The playful glint in her eyes suddenly disappeared and the atmosphere completely changed.

"I know who you are." She abruptly announced.

Max crossed her arms, not giving anything away. "Who am I then?"

"The mercenary sent here to kill me by PresCorp, 'Camera Eye'," Chloe self-assuredly stated. "You have that predatory glint in your eye I recognize from a seasoned mercenary… unless you're just really desperate to get laid. Then again, why would you seek out people when you can get VIs for that? Less mess and awkwardness that way." Her expression turned thoughtful then. "Unless you get off on fucking your targets..." One of her eyebrows raised suggestively as a mischievous smirk quirked at her lips. "I'm good for either eventuality."

Max cleared her throat to steer the conversation away from this spiral of chaos and embarrassment. "Then why did you invite me here."

Chloe seemed a bit disappointed by the lack of response to her obvious goading. "I wanted to see who exactly was after me. I heard rumors of a mercenary being hired to take me out. So, I thought I'd make your job easier and come out to face you directly."

For someone of the Punk Pirate's status, it usually took at least a couple of weeks to actually get a half decent lead. "I thought it was too easy."

"Yeah, because I made it easy," Chloe confidently announced. She took a moment to give Max a once over. "I have to say, you're not quite what I expected. In a good way. Then again, you probably think the same looking at me."

This was definitely an interesting turn of events. It was rare that Max actually had a conversation like this with her targets. Maybe it was because normally she couldn't care less about them. They were the people sucking this world dry, making people suffer. Chloe however was a totally different story. Curious to see where this would lead them both, she decided to listen. If all else failed, she could carry out her mission at the end.

"What do you plan on doing now then?" Max asked, pushing the conversation back on task. There must be some reason to prompt a face to face meeting like this.

Chloe shoved her hands in her pockets. "The thing is, I don't want to fight you. I have enough nemeses as it is. I'm tired of fighting, especially when I can instead make a useful ally of my 'enemy'. Especially someone as… accomplished as you."

"Is that so?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, so I thought we'd have a chat first. Hear me out, then we can really start punching it out if we have to."

Max had little to lose at this point. They were already in this situation now. If nothing else, it would keep Chloe distracted enough to give her the upper hand if she decided to carry through with her original plan.

"What do you want?"

Chloe smiled smugly at this. "Straight down to business, huh? I like that," her expression hardened slightly as she pressed on. "I've heard a lot about you, 'Camera Eye', and I have to say I'm impressed at the whispered rumors. Of course, I verified them before blindly believing. Some are vast over-exaggeration, but that's part of the whole image. Nobody knows what is fact and fiction." Her eyes zeroed in on Max's before she continued. "It would be a waste to kill you. That is if you are willing to co-operate."

This was the last thing Max had been expecting. She had to admit, it did pique her curiosity. Taking the bait, she decided to hear her out. "I'm listening."

Chloe's smile widened at her agreeable behavior, "You're smart. Good to know you're not some brainwashed lackey." She took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts before carrying on. "I suspect that you bear no love for these bastards and don't enjoy sucking the corporate dicks. Figuratively. You're just working to get their ill-gotten cash so you can pay your way in life. I can respect that. We all have to make a living after all."

"Even if that living is trying to kill you?" Max asked with wry amusement.

She chuckled at this question. "You haven't tried… yet. That's why we're having this conversation. Who knows, maybe you would have killed me… or I would have killed you if you'd gone through with it. Hopefully we won't find out."

She sounded so nonchalant about it all. It made sense. Over the years, Chloe must have had at least a few near death situations to deal with. After a while, you became immune to the worry. You began to view death from a practical perspective as opposed to emotional It came with the territory.

After a brief pause, Chloe took her hands from her pockets and came to stand in front of Max. "Anyway, what I propose is that you help me out taking down PresCorp. I'll pay you of course. I don't expect you to do it for free. Once we take down PresCorp we'll have access to all their funds, so you can take the fee you demanded from them and more."

Max pondered over this proposal. The more she thought it over, the more appealing it sounded. She would more likely get killed by Chloe than PresCorp right now, so it was the bigger threat to avoid. Chloe hadn't survived this long by simple luck after all. Besides, it might be nice to work for someone who wasn't fucking everybody over for a change. She hadn't become a mercenary for the kicks or fame. It had just been the circumstances she'd found herself in. On top of that, she would get more money too.

"So, what do you say?" As she asked this, she held out her hand to confirm the deal.

It was then that she recalled something she'd been told a few years back. While she'd still been with the merc group.

" _Max, this world gives us nothing. So, we have to make our own luck. If you see a better opportunity, take it without question."_

With these words resounding in her head, Max decided to take the chance.

"Ok sure." She reached out to shake Chloe's hand with her left one. After all, it was the hand that had the most feeling in. Even after all the sensory improvements made on her robotic arm. She suddenly found herself grasping at air. Her brow furrowed in confusion as Chloe's hand was quickly retracted with a mischievous grin.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself. I'm just fucking with you," Chloe chuckled at her childish prank as she grabbed onto Max's hand, giving it a firm shake. "Glad to have you on board."

While she still had a few mild reservations about all this, Max was feeling mostly optimistic about this arrangement. More so than she ever had in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I suppose that can signal the end of the prologue kind of part to the fic. Have an amazing day, stay safe out there and see you next time.


	4. Hideout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected alliance between Camera Eye and the Punk Pirate to take down PresCorp is sure to lead to interesting results. Before Max, Chloe and Rachel can even consider making their moves however, they have much to prepare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back guys. I hope you are doing well today. Here is the next chapter for you.

**Chapter Four: Hideout**

With their new partnership settled, Chloe and Max regrouped with the blonde girl from earlier and left Elysium. For Max this was all pretty surreal. To be working with one of her targets to take down the very company that had hired her seemed almost unthinkable. It was not unheard of. Over the year, several mercenaries had "gone rogue" as their consciences got the better of them. Most, if not all, were fickle in their loyal to employers, only working to earn their paychecks. They didn't agree with nor trust the companies they killed for, but if they could pay, then that was all that mattered. Max herself couldn't care less about PresCorp, which is why she had decided to take Chloe up on her offer. Jefferson particularly was a nasty piece of work. Had they not offered her so much money, she wouldn't have even considered working for that slimy bastard.

That wasn't the only reason she had accepted Chloe's alliance. She'd never really wanted to be a mercenary in the first place. Not that she was ungrateful to Verge, the mercenary group that had taken her in. She owed them everything after all. They taught her how to stay alive in this messed up world. Nobody else would have been kind enough to take her in. That month she'd spent on the streets before joining them had been the hardest of her life. She had no clue how she had managed to make it that long if she was honest. One thing was for certain, she had not been in the best state by the end of it. Ash, the leader of Verge, had been extremely impressed when she found out. Max would have probably died without Verge's intervention. That was a tough truth to face, but a thirteen-year-old girl unused to the harsh reality of street life could only survive so long. She could really feel for the poor children born into that life, having to steal and lie their way to survival.

Something had to change.

The three of them walked down the streets, sticking to the shadows. All of them were used to blending in like this by now. They wouldn't have survived this long otherwise. Once a safe enough distance from Elysium, having taken a few back alleyways and indirect paths, they relaxed a little. None of them could never truly drop their guard, but paranoia was not advised. It could easily consume you, if you let it.

As they made their way through the streets, Chloe pointed over to the blonde woman to her left. "This is my friend and closest ally, Rachel."

Rachel beamed on her introduction. Her hazel eyes held a very mischievous twinkle and she had a naturally smug resting expression. Everything about her just screamed trouble, but in an exciting way. She regarded Max with an interested look, giving her a once-over.

After a few seconds, she offered up a charming smile. "I wish they'd sent you to try kill Chloe sooner."

Chloe sighed deeply at this, rolling her eyes playfully. "Can't you keep it in your pants for more than five seconds, Rach? Max literally just agreed to this. You'll scare her off."

"Ok, Chloe. No need to go all alpha on my ass," Rachel threw her hands in the air defeated before offering Max a wink. "How else am I supposed to react around someone so damn cute?"

Max wasn't quite sure how to react to all this attention. She'd been alone for so long now and because of her job she was used to blending into the background. For those reasons, people very rarely even noticed her. It kind of reminded her of the time she'd spent with Verge. They had all told her she took things way too seriously, which admittedly she might have, teasing her at every turn because of it. Still, she couldn't help the way she was. Thanks to her role as the youngest member of the group, she had been a prime target for light-hearted mockery. As much as she had complained and grumbled at the time, she missed being part of a group, particularly ones as tight-knit and motley as Verge.

They pressed on through District Nine, with Chloe and Rachel chattering away while Max responded to any questions applying to her. For now, it was mostly small talk to pass the time. Speaking about anything related to PresCorp in the open would be risky. What they had planned in particular could get them a one-way ticket to a shallow grave. While Death didn't really scare Max anymore, she would much prefer to remain alive.

Before long, they had made it to their destination. An abandoned warehouse deep in the heart of District Nine.

"Welcome to my secret lair." Chloe mentioned proudly, stopping before she motioned towards the warehouse.

Max followed her hand, taking in the decrepit building. As expected, their HQ was extremely inconspicuous. It was built of grey brick for the most part, with sheets of corrugated metal making up the roof. Some of the bricks had been replaced with all kinds of interesting alternatives to keep the cold out, from sheets of various metals to some weird goo-like substance. It really did look completely abandoned, which is probably why it appealed to Chloe. Her line of work required discretion.

The entrance was covered by heavy looking iron shutters, with rust and thorny, blood red vines creeping up the sides. In fact, the whole area had been invaded, or perhaps reclaimed was a better word to use, by nature. This only really happened in the lower districts, nine and to a lesser extent eight. Upper ones were almost purely urban by this point, with a few artificial garden regions. The vegetation had mutated over the years, evolved to survive this new harsh environment. Animals too had adapted to the climate, scarce natural fresh water supplies and limited available food sources. Most were _very_ different from the cute and fluff animals of the 21st Century. That was for sure.

"Raw and rough… it suits you." Max quipped as she examined her surroundings.

Chloe offered up a toothy grin. "You'd better believe it. District Nine is full of places like this. Nobody wants to set up shop over here. Unless it's for something hella shady. Not that I can blame them. This place truly is a shitpit."

"You don't have to tell me that." Max muttered, knowing all too well what kind of conduct went on in District Nine.

Everybody knew. They just chose to ignore it. So long as it didn't disrupt business conduct or higher district activity, people really couldn't give a shit. Those who did care didn't have the resources, influence or money to do anything about it. Instead, they suffered in silence. Any kinds of protests against businesses were shut down, brutally. People gave up after a while. Well, with the obvious forms anyway. That was where people like Chloe and Rachel came in. Working from the shadows.

Instead of entering through the main entrance, the three of them took a side entrance down a short alleyway running beside the warehouse. Once inside, Max examined her surroundings. The main part of the building seemed to be divided into two sections, a chill out area and a corner dedicated to planning. The chill out zone was packed with DIY furniture and random trinkets. One thing Max noticed almost immediately was the dartboard attached to the wall, with a tally underneath. Rachel appeared to be winning. A few doors led off from this room, although it was impossible to tell where they went without exploring further. Her eyes roamed over the various graffiti with interest before following Chloe and Rachel over to a couch.

Once seated, Chloe fumbled around in her pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She muttered to herself while trying to find a lighter. Max smiled as she walked over to her, holding out her right hand. On command, a flickering orange flame burst to life from the tip of her index finger. This was just one of the neat little tricks she could do with her metallic arm. It came in handy, from the mundane to life-threatening situations.

"Damn. Wish I could do that," Chloe muttered, sounding extremely envious as she lit the cigarette.

"You can… for a shit ton of money." Max wryly remarked as the flame died out.

This brought a smile to Chloe's lips. "I bet. That's the case for everything nowadays though. That thing must have cost an arm and a leg."

A melancholic smile formed on Max's face. "Something like that."

Her blue-haired companion inhaled deeply before letting the smoke go, "After we've cleared out PresCorp, money won't be an issue." The couch creaked as she shuffled on it to get more comfortable. "So, before we let you lose around this place, there are a couple of things we need to go over with you. The 'official' stuff."

"You mean _I'll_ be going through it." Rachel corrected her.

Chloe shrugged at this. "I just let Rach deal with all this planning shit."

"Good thing too. Since you're only good at causing havoc." Rachel commented with a smug grin.

After taking in another breath of smoke and letting it billow around her, Chloe shook her head with a flicker of amusement in her tone. "You make that sound like a bad thing."

"It can be."

Chloe simply stuck her tongue out and flipped her off in response to this. This just seemed to amuse Rachel more than anything. Max did feel like she was third wheeling a bit right now. Intruding on something she shouldn't be. She'd always been awkward, especially around strangers. Hopefully that would pass with time when she got to know them better.

Once composed, Rachel turned her attention back to the task at hand. "So, as you know our main aim is to take down PresCorp. It's a monumental task. For that reason, we'll need a team to match that. Our immediate aim is to gather people to aid the cause. There are enough people sick of PresCorp's shit to do that." She turned to Max then, taking her time before continuing. "We've already got a couple lined up to check out, but if you have any willing contacts Max, we won't turn them away."

"I'll see what I can do."

In her time, Max had met a lot of good people among the assholes. Ones that would be _more_ than happy to help take down PresCorp. It was just a matter of actually contacting them. Most of them would be half way across the world by now, or otherwise unavailable. It sounded like things would take a while to prepare, so she had time to think it over.

Rachel offered up a dazzling smile. "Great, the more the merrier. Not only that, but there are a few loose ends here and there we need to tie up as well before launching our full scale attack. Hopefully that won't take too long though."

Chloe piped in here. "If you keep feeding PresCorp progress reports so as to not tip them off straight away. Give us some time to prepare and all that."

Max had planned on doing that anyway, but it was good to know they were on the same wavelength. "I can do that. So long as we're discreet about our movements, they won't suspect anything."

A job like this had the potential to take up to a month, that was the time stipulated in her deals anyway. If they made subtle moves, waiting to strike the major blow when they'd put everything in place, then PresCorp would be none the wiser. Until it was all too late. She'd been in the business long enough to know how much to send to keep her employers off her back.

"So, what do we do while we're waiting?" She asked curiously.

With her cigarette now finished, Chloe grabbed an ashtray from the small coffee table by the couch and put it out. The orange embers glowed dimly as the remnants burned away.

"While we're calling in a few favors and getting ready to gather people for our ragtag band of misfits, feel free to use this space however you want. There's some gym equipment in the basement and other rooms to explore. This place is as much yours as it is ours."

"Thanks."

"Hey, we're the ones who should be thanking you. You're making our job a whole lot easier here," Rachel pointed out. "You are an invaluable asset."

"Well, I look forward to working together." Max mentioned truthfully. Chloe and Rachel seemed like good people so far. Her first impressions usually weren't that far wrong.

"Me too," Chloe suddenly launched herself from the couch. "Anyway, Rach will be hanging around looking pretty as per usual."

On hearing this, Rachel narrowed her eyes. "I'm not sure whether to be flattered or offended by the insinuation that I'm not working hard."

In response, Chloe offered up a smirk. "Take your pick."

Rachel shook her head with an over-exaggerated sigh before striding away. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt for now."

Figuring that she'd teased Rachel enough for now, Chloe turned her attention back to Max while jabbing her thumb behind her. "And I'll be around. Somewhere. Doing… important shit."

"Very technical." Max wryly remarked.

"Enough with the sass. Anyway, just come over if you want a chat or anything," she began to walk away, but stopped just a foot away before turning back. "Oh and watch out for Rach."

That seemed like a strange thing to say to Max. "Why?"

Chloe chuckled at this. "You'll find out soon enough."

Hearing this did not instill Max with confidence. "Now that's just made me more curious… and a little scared."

"Yeah, she has a way of doing that." Chloe admitted before wandering off to do her own thing.

With free reign, Max took the opportunity to thoroughly snoop around. The closest doors led into what appeared to be bedrooms. There were about six in total. Each one had a metal framed double bed pushed into the back left corner, with a bedside table, desk and other generic furniture dotted around. Two of the rooms were personalized, presumably belonging to Chloe and Rachel. As much as she wanted to, Max thought it would be too far to go investigating further right now. Maybe later.

Apart from this, there was a tech room covered in wires and screens, a med bay with various pills and potions, a couple of bathrooms and a small kitchen area. There were also a few rooms currently being used for storage. Not only this, but the basement had been converted into a custom gym/weapon training space, with various equipment ranging from punch bags to a shooting range. There was a door leading off into some showers just to the right. All the weapons and other valuable equipment seemed to be stored down here too in a locked vault-like room. At least, Max assumed that's what was in there. It was an impressive set up to say the least.

Satisfied with her search for now, she made her way back up to the main level. Deciding it was a good idea to get to know her future companions, she spotted Rachel lounging around on the couch. Max couldn't see Chloe at the moment, so her decision on who to talk to first had been made for her.

She approached Rachel, who beamed when she realized Max had come for a chat. "Decided to come talk to me, huh?"

Max nodded, biting back her shyness. "Yeah. Just thought I should get to know the people I'm working with better."

Rachel's eyebrow quirked upward suggestively, her voice taking on a huskier tone. "There are many ways to get to know someone more… intimately."

"Uh…" Not knowing what to say to this questionable flirtations remark, Max cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Oh, aren't you just too cute? Blushing and all," Rachel teased lightly, chuckling at the obvious embarrassment. "I'm glad I have someone new to play with. Chloe never humors me."

She seemed to be really enjoying the spiraling vortex of chaos. In that regard, Rachel reminded Max too much of Wraith, the hacker from Verge. She had ensured Max's maintained embarrassment with crude jokes and wry humor. Wraith was one of the younger members, about three years older than Max. All of them had come from very different backgrounds and had their own experiences. That had been the best thing about Verge. It didn't matter who you were or where you came from, the moment you joined, you were family. It had been a weird family for certain, but a family nonetheless.

Desperate to escape this embarrassment, Max changed the subject. "So, what's your story?"

This ditch attempt didn't go unnoticed, earning her a chuckle from Rachel before she played along. "Curious, huh? I'll indulge you a little. Let's see… I moved here around three years ago. Before then I was travelling all over the place, doing my own thing. Chloe and I crossed paths a few years back. We've kept in touch and help each other out." She rested her chin on her hand and met Max's eyes. "Now, how about we talk a little about you?"

"Me?"

Max was not used to people directly asking about her. She was usually the one digging up information on others. To most, she was a ghost. A whispered rumor. The monster lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. Her reputation preceded her. Not many wanted to know about the girl behind the name. If they did, there was little chance of them managing it, unless she allowed them to. She was very reluctant to part with personal information, for obvious reasons.

"Yes, of course you. It's not every day I can have a conversation like this with a merc, without them trying to kill me at least," a light smirk danced across Rachel's face. "Especially such a cute one."

Again, Max wasn't really sure how to react to this relentless barrage of flirting. This must have been what Chloe meant by asking her to watch out for Rachel. It wasn't like she hated it or anything, she just had next to no clue about how to respond to it. That's the way it had always been. Her training and work had consumed her life for the better part of thirteen years. The members of Verge had tried so hard to get her to loosen up, with limited success. Social awkwardness aside, trust was a two-way street. If this was going to work, Max would need to put a little faith in those she was working with. Her time with Verge proved that. Mentally preparing herself, she began to divulge a little of her past. Only time would tell if she could reveal the more personal side of her life.

"I came to Neo-Seattle about five years ago. Figured it was time to stop relying so much on other people and hit it out on my own. Ever since, I've been working hard to get a good rep and earn some cash."

"I heard you were running with Verge for a while." Rachel prompted lightly.

"Ever since I was thirteen actually." Max's brow furrowed slightly at this. While she'd had a lot of good memories with the mercenary group, the circumstances surrounding her joining were painful to remember.

Rachel picked up on this and decided not to press for further information. "Good to know not all the rumors are false."

"It can be hard to tell these days." Max agreed, knowing exactly the kind of stories people liked to spread around.

"Especially when some people love to spread rumors," Rachel pointed to herself proudly. "Myself included. In fact, I've probably started most of them at one point or another. It doesn't take much for them to evolve. Eighty percent of the stuff they say about Chloe is total BS. Fancy and flattering BS, but BS all the same."

"I bet."

Max had come across some frankly unbelievable rumors about the Punk Pirate, things that couldn't be true. There were way too many inconsistencies and conflicting details, mostly down to the lack of concrete information. People tended to favor these tales however, finding them exciting and stimulating. If it kept everyone from giving up, then having exaggerated truths circulating around wasn't all that bad.

The couch groaned as Rachel sank back into it, "But what can you do? People cling on to whatever they can these days. It's all we've got." She almost sounded melancholic at this. Before Max could prod for more information, she sat up once more. "Anyway, enough doom and gloom." A coaxing grin tugged at her lips and her eyes flickered with gentle longing as she not-so-subtly eyed Max up. "Be sure to come visit me again. If you ever want a more… private chat that can be arranged."

"I'll… keep that in mind." Leaving Rachel smirking away at the embarrassment she had caused, Max went to look for Chloe.

She found her in the basement by one of the punch bags, working away. Instead of interrupting her straight away, Max hung back to watch. In the time she'd been talking with Rachel, Chloe had changed into some sweat pants and a tank top ready to work out. Max couldn't help but appreciate her toned physique. A lot of work went into maintaining that level of fitness. Something Max knew all too well now. Her fists moved in a swift blur as she punched away, adding a sharp kick and dodge every now and then to change it up. Upbeat music played in the background, broken only by the thuds as her fists hit the bag and the exhalation of air with every movement. It really was a pleasure to witness.

"How long are you going to stand there for?"

The question filtered through, breaking Max out of her trance-like state. When she focused again, she could see Chloe wiping her brow and the back of her neck with a towel sitting on a bench pushed up against the wall. She took a huge gulp of water before making her way over with a cocky swagger.

"Uh…"

Max had no idea how long she had been staring for. She'd been too caught up in the moment to really notice. As awkward as that was to admit. She cleared her throat sheepishly as Chloe approached her. Now that Max had started to pay attention to her figure, she couldn't stop. She could only really see Chloe's arms right now, everything else hidden under clothing, but it was safe to assume that she was as toned everywhere else.

"Hey, it's cool," a smug smirk pulled at her lips then. "I get why you'd be so captivated."

It wasn't like Max could really argue with her. She had an impressive stature, tall and trim. Her muscles were defined, but not overly so. Just enough to notice and draw attention. In their line of work, keeping fit was essential. One wrong move and it could all be over. That's why regular training was important. Looking good was a nice, yet somewhat distracting, side benefit.

After composing herself, Max swallowed hard and glanced down at the floor. "You're impossible."

This mumbled response inspired a toothy grin from Chloe. "You'd better believe it. So, what did you come down here for?" Her blue eyes sparked with mischief, the left iris almost seeming to glow with faint golden veins. "Other than check me out while I'm working out."

The most logical explanation was some kind of cybernetic enhancement. Although, Max hadn't seen this kind of thing happen before. Once again, she found herself staring, which only amused Chloe further. She was about to protest this, but realized it was useless. While she hadn't planned on it, she had been doing just that. Besides, making a big deal out of it would only encourage teasing.

"I just came to chat." She replied honestly.

"You could have fooled me." Chloe chuckled, obviously trying to get a rise out of her.

Eager to change the subject, Max rolled her shoulders and steered the conversation away from this slightly awkward encounter. "So, what inspired you to start this whole Punk Pirate thing?"

Chloe's brow furrowed in thought. "It's hard to pinpoint a specific time really when I knew. Ever since I was young, I've been a bit of a rebel."

"Now _that's_ a surprise." Max stated wryly.

"Shocking, isn't it? I guess I was just fed up with everything. Seeing people suffering because of greedy bastards like Jefferdick. I thought I could do something about it. So, I did." Her expression turned wistful then. "Among other reasons."

Max was curious about this, but didn't press. Whatever memory was attached to that thought was obviously a painful one. She knew better than anyone about that. There was definitely a story there. One she would have to earn the right to hear.

Chloe shook herself out of her melancholy. "Oh yeah, you can move whatever stuff you want here. If there is anything important, then it'll probably be best to keep it close by. There is a room next to my one that's free, so you can chill in there anytime."

Happy for the change of atmosphere, Max nodded agreeably. "I just might do that."

Seeming pleased by this, Chloe took another sip of water before speaking. "It'll save you some time and energy."

"And give me a chance to kill you in your sleep." Max joked teasingly.

One of Chloe's eyebrows raised in amusement. "A comedian, huh? Didn't know those kind of mercs survived long."

"Most of them don't."

She rested her hand on Max's head, only highlighting the height difference, gently ruffling her hair. "I guess that makes you special then."

Max lightly batted her hand away. "You could say that."

Chloe gave her a long, searching look before a flicker of determination crossed her features, "Ok, Super Max. You'll have to show me your mad skills when you have the time. I want to see if you're as good as they say." She regarded Max with a thoughtful expression tinged with smugness. "Not as good as me obviously, but I'll give you a chance to compete."

This was a challenge Max couldn't back down from. She wasn't usually a competitive person by nature, but something about Chloe spurred her to prove herself. Part of her _wanted_ to impress Chloe. She hadn't felt this way since being in Verge, especially around Ash who had been her role model. This still felt a bit different from that time though. Like there was another point she wanted to make beyond simply gaining approval around Chloe.

Deciding not to give it much thought now, she turned her attention back to the challenge being presented to her. "You're on. I hope you don't mind losing too much."

The display of self-assurance from Max seemed to amuse Chloe greatly. "Oh, over-confidence. That'll make my victory all the sweeter. Just let me know when you want to do that. Don't leave it too long though. We'll be getting busy soon."

"Will do." A lop-sided grin tugged at Max's lips. "I'll give you enough time to prepare your sorry ass for a beating."

One of Chloe's eyebrows raised in amusement. "Fighting talk. I like it. Shame that it won't do you any good."

Max really had missed all this, more than she wanted to admit. Despite her natural shyness, being part of a group had been the best thing to happen to her. There were very few people she could rely on these days. Knowing that there were people out there who had her back helped. While this had yet to be proved indefinitely, she had a good feeling about Chloe and Rachel. It was then that she glanced down at her right arm, letting her hand close into a fist. Hopefully she wouldn't be misplacing her trust this time. Still, things were different now.

"Anyway, maybe you should get some rest or something," Chloe suggested while placing the towel around the back of her neck to free up her hands. "We'll bring your stuff over tomorrow and discuss things more. You know where I am if you need me."

Max motioned vaguely behind her with a smirk. "Around somewhere doing important shit, right?"

This answer earned her a toothy grin. "Got it in one. See you around, Max."

"Not if I see you first."

Chloe nudged her in the ribs with an elbow. "Yeah, then you can stand there and ogle me again."

Realizing that she was fighting a losing battle, Max shook her head and left the basement. Rachel caught her eye, winking as she passed by her to the bedrooms. Once inside the room Chloe had mentioned earlier, Max flopped down on the bed with a sigh. Today had not gone as expected, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Despite the herculean task ahead of them, she had a pretty good feeling about all this.

Only time would tell if that feeling was justified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have an awesome day, take care and see you in the next chapter.


	5. Adapt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While waiting for the real work to begin, Max tries to get used to her new circumstances and surroundings. After working solo for so long, will she be able to acclimatize fast enough?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back to the story. I hope you're doing well. I've got another chapter for you, so enjoy.

**Chapter Five: Adapt**

**District One – PresCorp HQ – Mark Jefferson's Office**

Deep in the underbelly of PresCorp's HQ was a basement. One the CEO, Mark Jefferson, was leisurely strolling around. His calm demeanor was eerie considering what he was up to. A man was strapped to a chair before him, his head bowed and body battered with bruises and cuts running along the skin. Right now, death would be preferable for him.

Jefferson came to a stop in front of the man, his voice steady and confident, "I allowed you to do your business in this city, even actively supported you, and all I asked for in return was a modest cut. A very reasonable and profitable deal for both of us." His eyes sparked with irritation and repugnance. "Now I hear that not only are you refusing to pay up, but that you would go behind my back and try to steal a deal from right under my nose. It was a bold move, impressive. If it had worked anyway."

"Please, don't…" A feeble whimper filled the room, one that didn't sound human.

"Hmm. Don't what?" Jefferson asked teasingly, casually waving the knife in his right hand around for the other man to see. The light glinted off the blade, part of it stained red with blood. He always was more of a hands on boss. Not only that, but he could only really trust himself to get the job done properly. Others would cut corners and miss gathering crucial intel.

"D-don't kill me." The man begged, his body shaking violently with fear.

This pathetic plea inspired a deep, rumbling laugh to erupt from Jefferson's throat. "Oh, I won't kill you."

The man seemed to relax at this, although he shouldn't have. Without warning, a loud bone-crunching crack penetrated the silence as a fist connected with his face. This violent action made the man's head snap back and a pained groan left his mouth. Jefferson's fist relaxed as he approached the man tied down to the chair in front of him. The close proximity made the man whimper again and recoil as much as he could. All that Jefferson felt towards him was disgust. He was supposed to be the leader of a bigshot crime ring, famed for his brutality and insatiable bloodthirst. Now he was a scared little man begging for his life and doing a very poor job of it too. He had put too much stock in this pathetic excuse for a human being. Never again.

"I'll do _much_ worse than that." He whispered menacingly while leaning in close, tracing the man's jaw lightly with the tip of the knife.

The expression of utter terror and despair on the man's face brought a twisted smirk to Jefferson's lips. He cracked his knuckles and signaled for the two burly men standing guard by the door to approach. Fear began to consume the man as he realized what came next. A fate worse than death.

"Our business is, as of this moment, terminated," Jefferson mentioned offhandedly as he wiped off the knife with a cloth and placed it back on the metal table with practiced precision. "Oh and don't worry. I will take care of everything in your stead. Permanently."

With that he left, only hearing the agonized screams for a moment before the door snapped shut behind him. The sound of suffering did not faze him in the slightest. He rolled his shoulders and continued on his way to the elevator leading up to his office. Mark Jefferson did not take kindly to being betrayed. Very few dared try, and even fewer lived to tell the tale. Zero percent to be exact. He had not come this far to be foiled by someone below his caliber, or anyone for that matter, but especially not a lowlife criminal. At least he could put his newly gained resources to good use, once he had weeded out the weak links in the chain anyway. If the current members had any sense, they would immediately change their loyalties to him. A crime ring of this size would provide him with numerous useful assets, with or without the members attached.

He straightened up his collar calmly as the elevator grinded to a halt, wiping a small droplet of blood from his cheek with unnerving calm. He stepped inside, the doors closing behind him before the elevator began to ascend. This was just another day for him. One of many. Not all of them ended in violence, but it wasn't an uncommon occurrence. The doors parted once the elevator had reached the top floor. With his usual air of arrogance, he stepped on out and strolled down the hallway to his office. Once inside, he immediately made his way to the large window overlooking Neo-Seattle. His taciturn expression reflected in the reinforced glass as cold brown eyes looked out over the city. _His_ city.

Neo-Seattle was his personal playground and nothing would ever change. He would make sure of that.

* * *

" _Max, you can't let this rule your life." A soft voice called out into the darkness._

_Max found herself on a rooftop overlooking one of the many cities she had passed through while running with Verge. The very last one to be exact. She peered over the edge, unfazed by the drop as her eyes scanned the cityscape. They had all spent so many nights like this, both for their work and pleasure. Whether it was lining up the sight of her sniper rifle to locate a target or staring up at the stars, rooftops had played such a large part of her childhood. Initially, she had been terrified of being up so height. Not so much anymore. Heights weren't the problem anyway. It was falling from them, plunging down into the unknown, that was the scary part._

_A woman hung back slightly, concern lining her features. She was just over an inch taller than Max, with flowing dark hair usually tied back to keep it off her face. For now, it remained untamed, the wind lightly ruffling it and causing the strands to whip against her mocha skin. Her deep brown, thin almond eyes focused on Max, imploring her to reconsider all this._

_With a sigh, Max sat down and dangled her feet over the edge before glancing back to the woman. "I know that, Ash."_

" _Do you?" Ash questioned as she joined Max, gently swinging her feet. "Revenge is a terrible thing, Max. The worst force on this planet. It can not only ruin your life, but the lives of innocent people too. It's a vicious cycle of hate and violence you will never be free of."_

" _I can't just give up." Max stated firmly, refusing to just let her parents truly die. Not until she found out who had done it and why. Then made them pay._

_Ash's brow furrowed at the stubbornness Max was displaying. She had expected as much and didn't blame her in the slightest. It was only natural to want answers and retribution. "I'm just worried about you. Over the years, I have seen so many lose themselves to a hate that deep. Driven mad by it."_

" _My parents need some form of justice." Max insisted, her judgement clouded with bitter resentment and mild anger._

_An unnerving silence passed between them, broken only by the rustling of wind and generic night time sounds. Just when it threatened to engulf them, Ash finally spoke again, "Justice and vengeance are two sides of the same coin." She mentioned sadly before letting out a deep sigh. "I can't stop you. Just promise not to lose yourself for someone unworthy."_

* * *

**Next Morning – District Nine - Warehouse**

Max turned over in her sleep, the bed springs creaking under her weight. She shifted onto her back, her eyes opening slowly. This room was unfamiliar and it took her a moment to recall the event from yesterday. As she laid there gradually regaining her consciousness, the remnants of the flashback swirled in her mind. It was a conversation she'd had before moving to Neo-Seattle. Her parents' mysterious deaths had happened in this very city after all. That was the main reason for her coming here. Had she been able to let the past go, she would still be travelling with Verge now. Instead, she had decided to strike out on her own and investigate. Even in these past five years, she had essentially found nothing. Admittedly, some of that time had been spent trying to earn her way in life, leaving little time for investigating. Still, it was almost like her parents hadn't even existed.

Figuring she'd stayed in bed long enough, Max ventured out into the hallway. She glanced over to Chloe's room just next door, wondering if she was awake yet. Not wanting to check just in case she was still asleep, Max headed on out to the kitchen area. Since she appeared to be the first one up, she may as well make food for everyone. Small gestures like that could help to build up trust.

She located a frying pan and managed to rustle up the ingredients needed to make a hearty breakfast. Most food nowadays was genetically modified to the point where it was almost unrecognizable in appearance, taste and texture. Otherwise, things wouldn't survive long enough to provide an efficient yield. GM food wasn't a bad thing necessarily, if you got the good stuff anyway. The cheap food had a horrible aftertaste, but did the job. Some couldn't even afford that, settling with disgusting rehydrated meals and weird textured food pastes. These days, getting nutrition was difficult enough without being picky, particularly for those in the lower districts. This stuff seemed to be a decent quality though, definitely not from District Nine. Soon, a gentle sizzling sound filled the air.

Max jumped, almost throwing the food on the floor as arms wrapped around her waist and a chin rested on her shoulder. Of course, it was none other than Rachel. They were about the same height, so it wasn't much of a strain for her. She purred in Max's ear, reveling in the confusion. "Look at you being the domestic goddess."

"Jeez, Rachel. Don't do that." Max sighed in relief as she felt the pressure from her back removed. Most people couldn't even get close, let alone get the jump on her. To be fair, she had been preoccupied. Not only that, but Rachel must be fairly stealthy. She wouldn't have survived this long otherwise. Max would have to keep her wits about her in the future.

"Oh, but your shocked face was so adorable." She playfully mocked, lightly pinching Max's cheek.

After batting her hand away, Max rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You're just lucky I didn't floor you or stab you or something."

Instead of putting her off, this option only seemed to amuse Rachel. "That could have been exciting."

"You have some very strange ideas." Max muttered, more to herself, as she checked on the food to make sure it didn't burn.

"You can say that again." A familiar, yet tired, voice called from behind them. Rachel and Max turned to see Chloe stood there, her blue hair disheveled from sleep. She yawned, not bothering to cover her mouth as she stretched her arms above her head. It looked as if she had literally just rolled out of bed.

Rachel watched her sleepily stumble over to them. "Oh, so you _are_ up."

Chloe cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders before responding to this. "It's hard not to be when you bashed on my door that many times. Was that really necessary?"

"Yes it was and you know it. I bet you only got up because you could smell food." Rachel called her out.

A cheeky grin danced across her features. "Maybe…"

Just then, Rachel pressed herself into Max's back again, whispering into her ear, "For future reference, the best way to earn Chloe's affections is with food. Might come in handy." Before Max could ask her what she meant, she simply winked and withdrew.

"What are you whispering about?" Chloe's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she asked this question.

Rachel offered up an overly-innocent grin. "Nothing."

This earned her an unimpressed scoff. "Like I believe that."

"I'll punish you for ever doubting me!" Rachel cried indignantly as she went to pull Chloe into a headlock. Pre-empting some kind of attack, she dodged out of the way and tried to clip Rachel's thigh with her foot. As if she had anticipated the kick, Rachel moved out of reach with practiced ease. Both of them were equally matched, and knew all the other's tricks, so found it almost impossible to land a hit. As they tussled, Max tried desperately to make sure that she didn't get caught in the middle.

"Hey, break it up. Or breakfast might end up on the floor. Speaking of…" She began transferring the food over to several plates and, with some help from Chloe and Rachel, set the small table sat in the middle of the kitchen area. They all took a seat, stomachs grumbling in anticipation.

Chloe glanced down at the plate skeptically, jabbing some with a fork and inspecting it. "You sure it's not poisoned or something?"

Her concern was understandable. For all Chloe knew, this was a ploy to take her out. To ease her worries, Max leaned in and ate what was on the fork in her hand, chewing slowly before swallowing. "Happy?"

"Aw, no fair. I want to feed Max too." Rachel smirked, earning her a glare from Chloe.

She waited for a moment, as if to see whether Max would drop down dead, before digging in with a ravenous ferocity. Rachel chuckled before eating what was on her own plate. Soon enough, there were three empty plates. Once finished, they shoved everything over on the side and headed on out to Max's apartment as planned to transfer her stuff over. Her apartment wasn't too far away from the warehouse, maybe half an hour. They made sure to take side alleyways and concealed entrances through buildings to ensure that they evaded detection.

Max hung back in the shadows, watching a small group of people pass, strutting down the street like they owned the place. They bashed on doors, cracked windows and shouted insults at those trying to go about their own business. Her eyes fell on the various items attached to their belts, ranging from metal batons to high powered stun guns and other torturous devices. All carried that feared emblem belonging to PresCorp, the head of a hissing black serpent with glowing crimson eyes.

"It's so tempting to just go beat the shit out of them sometimes," Chloe whispered by her ear, watching them wreak havoc. "They wouldn't be expecting that. Those bastards are just lucky that we need to keep a low profile."

Ever since PresCorp had essentially taken over Neo-Seattle, the company had made sure that their influence remained omnipresent. One way they had achieved this was by deploying enforcers, thugs employed to keep terror alive. This was mostly restricted to the lower districts, the residents most likely to rebel. Enforcers were often gang members or other vicious criminals who thrived off violence and fear. In return for maintaining PresCorp's control over Neo-Seattle, these people were allowed to conduct their business in the city, so long as certain interests didn't conflict. They prowled the streets, ready to attack whoever crossed their path. Since they needed little reason to pick a fight, staying out of their way was advised.

Eventually, the three of them reached the dingy side street where Max had lived for the past five years. Even in the daytime, it was dull and dreary. This part of the city rarely saw sunlight and when it did, it was mostly eclipsed by the towering skyscrapers of the higher districts.

Chloe whistled as they turned down the alleyway and approached the door. "Damn, this place is a real shitpit."

"I'm glad to see your usual level of tact is in play here." Rachel chuckled lightly at Chloe's lack of diplomacy.

"She's not wrong." Max stated matter-of-factly as she jammed the key into the lock, finally managing to get the door open. Each day seemed harder than the last. With one finally jolt, the door swung open and the three of them piled inside.

Chloe's eyes scanned the small area with a scrutinizing gaze, as if she were trying to memorize it. "Well, at least the inside looks better."

With several jerky motions thanks to the door's temperamental hinges, Max closed the door behind them. "I do my best. It's a losing battle though."

Rachel jabbed her thumb in Chloe's direction. "I know that feeling, thanks to Chloe."

"Hey!"

"I try with all my might to keep our place clean and tidy, but she comes through like a whirlwind and leaves destruction in her wake. Mostly takeaway containers." She sighed in an over-exaggerated manner.

The three of them made light work of packing up. There wasn't much to take, mostly weapons and tech, along with a few personal items. A few duffle bags later and they had cleaned out her apartment of anything valuable. During the packing, Max came across several mementos from her life. As a rule, she kept very few non-essential possessions. Years on the move with Verge had taught her to travel light. Still, she allowed herself some indulgence in her past.

The first she came across was the very first gun she had ever fired in her life, a semi-automatic pistol. She'd been fifteen at the time. Verge had let her have two years to actually remain a child, much more than most mercenary groups. They often brought or kidnapped young to ensure loyalty and began training immediately. Back then she hated guns. She still did, but realized that in this life she had come to lead, they were a necessary evil. Now, guns and other weapons had essentially become an extension of her body. Feeling a brief sentimentality, she stashed the gun away in the duffel bag.

Digging deeper into her closet, she paused when she stumbled across a yellowing photo. It depicted a man, woman and little girl, who looked no older than eight. They were all smiling, their eyes twinkling with joy. Max knew it was an old photo, nearly two decades had passed since this moment had been captured. This was the only physical connection she had to her parents now. Her fingers lightly traced over her parents' faces, her heart feeling heavy in her chest.

"Max?" a hand on her shoulder pulled her out of the memories. She spun around to see Chloe staring back at her with hesitance, her tone mild. "We're pretty much done now, so Rachel went outside to have a cigarette break." When she noticed Max's melancholic expression, Chloe's eyes softened. "Hey, you okay?"

It had been a long time since Max had seen such a gentle expression as the one Chloe was showing her right now. Neo-Seattle had a tendency to rip the kindness and sympathy out of people. Most didn't have the energy to struggle against the inevitable. It made her heart both ache and melt to see.

"Yeah, just remembering," she sighed and showed the photo to Chloe. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors about my parents."

Chloe's brow furrowed as she took in the bittersweet picture. "Oh, right. Sorry."

Max waved away her apology as she carefully slid the photo in the bag and zipped it up tight. "It's cool. No need to apologize. I just miss them sometimes. A lot actually."

"Well, I kind of get how you feel." Chloe muttered as she scuffed her boots along the floor.

"Yeah?" Max glanced up from the bag, catching her eye.

After some hesitation, Chloe began to divulge her reasoning behind this statement. "My dad went missing a while back. Haven't seen him since I was fourteen. He wouldn't have just upped and left without a word like that. So, it's safe to assume… something bad happened."

Neo-Seattle almost seemed to breed tragic backstories. Despite their diverging paths, maybe she and Chloe weren't so different after all. Both a saddening and comforting thought.

Max offered up a despondent smile, her expression distant. "You always hold onto that blind hope though, even if you know the truth or suspect something bad. Expect them to walk on through the door as if nothing happened. Like they just popped out to the store or something for a couple minutes."

Chloe nodded sympathetically as she shifted one of the duffel bags' straps on her shoulder. "I know that feeling. Doesn't help much though."

"No. It doesn't, but you've just got to keep going. You can't give in too much to sadness. If you do, that's it," Max pushed herself off the floor to stand. "Especially in a place like Neo-Seattle."

"You can say that again," Chloe agreed, having seen firsthand just how dire things were. "This place is the embodiment of despair and hopelessness. Unless you have a ton of cash lying around."

"At least we'll be doing something about that now." Max pointed out as she transferred the last bag onto her shoulder, trying to put a positive spin on this morose conversation. She was sick and tired of feeling sorry for herself.

Sensing this shift in tone, Chloe began making her way outside to join Rachel. "True enough. PresCorp sure as hell contributes its fair share to the gloomy atmosphere lingering everywhere."

Max followed her out, locking up behind them. Her eyes wandered over to Rachel, who had a couple of bags resting at her feet. She was leaning against the wall, exhaling colored smoke and watching it as it formed swirling patterns. A faint citrus scent hung in the air around her as the smoke billowed. When she realized Max and Chloe were out, she flicked the remainder of the cigarette to the floor, stomping it out to glowing embers.

She picked up the bags and bounded over to them, "You guys took a while. What could have kept you so long I wonder?" A teasing grin formed on her lips and her eyes glistened with mischief.

Max wondered if she would ever get used to this, feeling her cheeks heat up ever so slightly at the obvious insinuation. Her awkwardness had plagued her ever since childhood, making it difficult to interact with people, without making a total fool of herself. Things had gotten slightly better with age, but she still found herself getting flustered over the silliest of things. Offhand comments like this specifically. Considering that she was supposed to be some big, bad mercenary type, she didn't feel like it half the time. Maybe she'd just been alone too long.

"Not what you're thinking I'm sure." Chloe countered with ease.

"What I'm thinking of only takes a few minutes to do," she glanced over to Max and then back to Chloe again with an obvious smirk. "Well… in most case. Depends on how much you want to prolong it really. Or how much stamina you have, which wouldn't be a problem for either of you."

Instead of giving Rachel the reaction she wanted, Chloe just shook her head and made her way down the alleyway. "I forget how relentless you are sometimes."

Rachel shrugged and followed close behind, with Max also starting to move. "Hey, the world's going to shit, so we've got to enjoy it while we can. Why hold back?"

"Because that attitude hasn't gotten you in trouble before, like pissing off a seasoned assassin for instance." Chloe mentioned with wry amusement.

"Hey, that wasn't my fault. Entirely," she paused before adding as an afterthought. "Besides, we came to an… amicable agreement in the end."

"I don't doubt that," Chloe's expression turned more serious then. "My point is, you can create more danger for yourself that way."

"Maybe I like danger. It keeps things interesting."

Chloe didn't seem too impressed by this answer. "And that's the kind of attitude that keeps nearly getting you killed. I might not always be there to drag your ass out of the fire."

"Aw, are you worried about me? How sweet." Rachel playfully teased, throwing her arm around Chloe and nearly dragging her down.

Once reoriented, Chloe rolled her eyes and glanced over to Max walking to her left, just out of Rachel's immediate firing line. "You see, Max. This is what I have to deal with on a daily basis and have done for a long time."

This display of mock resentment brought a slight smile to Max's lips. "Sounds rough."

Rachel grinned slightly, acting hurt. "Ouch, that hurts. I'm not _that_ bad."

"I beg to differ." Chloe mumbled under her breath as they all approached the warehouse. They headed through the door in the alley, carrying on to Max's newly acquired bedroom. Once inside, each of them placed the duffle bags they had been lugging around on the floor.

"I have to admit I'm kind of disappointed. I was hoping to find some interesting items among your personal effects." A lop-sided grin danced across Rachel's features, one of her blonde eyebrows raising suggestively as she leaned against the wall.

Max rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I don't even want to know…"

"You _definitely_ don't. Trust me on that." Chloe chuckled lightly.

Rachel shrugged. "Your loss."

With a couple of long strides, Chloe made her way across the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "If you want to stash your guns and things somewhere, then there is a safe room in the basement. You've probably already seen it while exploring."

"I might for some of them." Max joined her over by the bed, sighing lightly as she too sat down and leaned back on her hands.

Chloe gently nudged her shoulder. "Well, the fewer weapons you have immediate access to, the less chance you have of finishing me off. So, I'm fine with that."

"To be honest, I wouldn't need much." Max quipped.

Her time at Verge had taught her to be resourceful above all else. Give her some random objects and she could probably fashion some kind of weapon out of them, or another useful item if not. If push came to shove, she could probably even kill someone with her bare hands, not that she had ever tried or really wanted to. She frowned at this thought, pushing it from her mind.

"That really instils me with confidence." Something about Chloe's tone then was only half-joking.

"If it makes you feel better, I'll store them all under lock and key," Max suggested, trying to ease her worries. "I get it. You have absolutely no reason to trust me. I won't be offended."

"I'm sure you could kill me without any weapons if you really wanted, but I appreciate the sentiment," she offered up an appreciative smile, one that soon gave way to amusement. "Maybe just put away the really big, powerful ones that could blow me into little pieces. It might put my mind at ease."

"I was planning on doing that anyway, so it's cool." Max crouched down and took out her Verge pistol, transferring the rest over to one duffle bag.

Her fingers brushed against her trusty, lightweight sniper rifle, Reaper. For now, it was retracted to save space. Verge had gifted it to her on her sixteenth birthday. The weapons expert of the group, Wren, had taught her how to maintain and modify it, along with her other guns. This knowledge had saved her ass countless times, as well as ending so many lives. A wistful smile crossed her features as she took Reaper out of the bag, zipping it shut. The rest could go in storage.

"I'll go do that for you now." Without further discussion, Rachel grabbed the duffle bag with all Max's currently unnecessary weapons in and exited the room, leaving the two of them alone.

Once she had left, Chloe let out a soft laugh. "I can't keep up with her sometimes."

"If you can't, then I'm screwed." Max pointed out.

"Not in the good way," Chloe added, a slight frown forming as she said this. "Actually thinking about it, who knows with Rachel."

"She does seem pretty… aggressive with that." Max observed, wondering if Rachel's advances were purely to mess with her or if she was genuinely interested. Often it was hard to distinguish between humor and actual advances, especially when they could intermingle on occasion. Reading social cues had never been her strong point.

Chloe nodded in agreement. "Just wait. It gets worse."

"Great."

To get her attention, Chloe nudged Max with her elbow. "Don't worry. I'll protect you from her wandering hands."

This concept amused Max greatly, bringing a grin to her lips and inspiring mild sarcasm. "Oh yes, because I'm definitely a damsel in distress. It's _so_ obvious."

Chloe simply shrugged. "Maybe you are. Deep down under that rough, mercenary exterior."

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"I guess I will," her expression became more contemplative then. "Who knows, you might want to follow up on Rachel's relentless offers when the pressure starts piling on."

"Rachel seems a little too much for me to handle," Max admitted. "There is no way I could even begin to keep up with her from what I've seen. I'd kind of be diving in at the deep end."

Things like romance and lust had been put on hold for her with training, work and other things. Or maybe she had just been purposefully avoiding them. There had been plenty of opportunities over the years where she could have probably hooked up with someone, but she'd chosen not to. Sure, she'd been curious at times, but it hadn't really interested her much. Maybe it had been the setting, or that there hadn't been anyone around to get the interest going.

"Sounds like you don't have too much experience on that front." Chloe's words didn't come across as a teasing accusation, more like a curious observation.

"Not really. No. Have you?" The question came out before Max could stop it.

"Have I what?"

Too late to back out now, Max began to awkwardly clarify. "Taken Rachel up on her offers? Or got much experience?"

"No," Chloe replied without hesitation, an answer that made Max feel strangely relieved. A shit-eating grin crossed Chloe's features then. "Why you jealous?"

"Just curious." A bad habit of hers…

Chloe seemed to think it over for a second before responding. "Rachel's been a good friend over the years. We've never really felt as if we had to add anything else to our friendship, even if she has joked about it over the years. I mean, even if I suggested it, I don't think she'd take me up on it. Weird, huh? Maybe she doesn't want to potentially fuck up what we have or something. Either that or I am totally not her type."

"I don't see why you wouldn't be." Max stated without really thinking.

Initially, Chloe appeared to be taken aback by this, obviously not expecting it. Once this had worn off, her surprise was replaced with smugness. "Oh, and what does _that_ mean?"

Mentally kicking herself, Max swallowed as she rubbed the back of her neck, searching for the right words here. "Well, Rachel doesn't seem to have too much of a preference and you know…"

"You know… what?" Chloe prompted, all her attention focused solely on Max now. The intensity of her gaze made it impossible for Max to avoid. Her left eye shimmered again, those gold veins visible among the blue.

"I guess she'd find you attractive. There's not really much to hate on." Almost the second she said this, Max felt as if she was digging herself into a deeper hole. All she'd wanted to do was say something nice, but she was making a total mess of it as usual.

The corner of Chloe's lips quirked upward into a smirk. "I'm sensing a hidden compliment somewhere there."

"All I'm saying is, you must get a lot of people chasing after you." Max tried desperately to backtrack a bit so as to not sound like a totally creepy loser. A specialty of hers it seemed.

Chloe chuckled at her awkwardness. "More likely to kill me than to profess their undying love. Although, I suppose the two can merge sometimes, right?"

Something about the way she said this made Max feel strange, like there was a hidden context she was trying to convey. This really didn't seem like a purely hypothetical question. "M-maybe."

Her non-committal answer was enough to get Chloe grinning. "I'll keep your opinion on that in mind."

For some reason, Max's heart had started racing. Maybe it was the subtle husky undertones of Chloe's voice, their close proximity or the potential sub context. Whatever the reason, her heart refused to calm and she found herself lost for words. She was probably reading too much into it, like always.

Before she could respond, Rachel burst back into the room with a toothy grin, "Did you miss me?" Her expression changed as she read the atmosphere, a mischievous glint forming in her hazel eyes. "Oh sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"Not really." Chloe sighed as she launched herself off the bed and stretched out.

Max, on the other hand, wasn't so sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have an amazing day, stay safe and see you next chapter.


	6. Ally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time for action is near. While the initial preparations are being wrapped up, Chloe and Rachel discuss their newest addition to the mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. Here's the next chapter for you.

**Chapter Six: Ally**

**Two days later - Afternoon - District Nine - Rachel's Room**

Rachel sat at her desk, browsing through all the information they had collected so far on both PresCorp and other key players, possible enemies and allies. It had been a couple of days since Max had joined their fight against PresCorp. Not much visible progress had been made in that time as there were so many things to put in place. Everything that had been achieved so far was simply preparation. If Chloe had her way, they would've gone into PresCorp's HQ all guns blazing right off the bat, but that would only serve to get them all hurt, or worse. As tempting as it was to get this done quickly, subtlety was required.

The sound of the door opening brought Rachel out of her thought. She glanced back over her shoulder to see Chloe sliding inside the room, shutting the door behind her. "You look busy, for once."

"That's rich coming from you," Rachel scoffed as she leant back in the chair. "For the record, I've been _very_ busy. Not only have I been in touch with Watchdog about our next potential addition to the team, but also I've been checking up on Max too. Can't be too careful."

Watchdog were a team of skilled hackers, predominantly dealing in blackmail and information brokering. Their leader, going only by Madsen, was probably the most paranoid person to have ever lived. Needless to say, nobody outside of the group had ever seen Madsen in the flesh, for good reason. Thankfully, the group were keen to take PresCorp out as well, which made them a useful ally.

"So, anything suspicious?" Chloe asked curiously as she came to rest beside Rachel, hoping that the answer would be no. Max seemed like a decent sort so far. It would be a shame to find out that she was just another asshole. One of the many lurking around Neo-Seattle.

Rachel glanced up from her work and shook her head, "Not so far. Her very few ingoing and outgoing messages seem clean from my thorough checks and I haven't noticed any strange behavior, yet." She rolled her shoulders and cracked her knuckles. "In fact, she seems to be investigating PresCorp herself, among other things. Focusing on a specific year."

This piqued Chloe's interest. The more they knew about Max, the better. As much as that both wanted to trust her implicitly, that kind of attitude could get them killed. There was also some degree of… personal intrigue from Chloe's perspective. "Which one?"

For some reason, Rachel seemed reluctant to answer, showing major internal confliction. When she finally replied, her expression became softer and sympathetic. "2122. The end of it, more specifically December."

That answer made Chloe's heart constrict painfully. This date held significance for her, and not in a good way. It was when her dad had gone missing. She could remember it like it was yesterday. Waiting for him to come home, but he never did. Wondering why… What she wanted to know was the reason behind Max's searches. Could it simply be a coincidence?

"I… see," was all she could manage at first. After a few seconds of silence, Chloe spoke again to dig for more information. "Do you know what she's looking for in particular?"

"It's hard to tell. Her searches focus on the Neo-Seattle area. Time wise, it would put her around thirteen I believe." Rachel brushed the longer side of her hair over her shoulder as she pondered the meaning of this discovery. "It might have something to do with the circumstances surrounding her induction into Verge. Maybe not." Her hazel eyes focused in on Chloe's blue ones. "You'd have to ask her. Whether she'd tell you anything is another story."

Not wanting to push her luck with Max right now, Chloe simply shrugged. "Maybe I'll wait a bit then. Bring it up later."

"That would be wise. Although, maybe don't mention that we've been going through her stuff. That could piss her off." Rachel recommended with a wide smirk.

"Yeah, she doesn't need any incentive to finish her job. I quite like living, so I don't think I want to go angering someone like Max." Neither of them could be certain whether Max was genuinely onboard or not. Therefore, it was best to keep on her good side as much as possible, while looking out for abnormal behavior.

A suggestive grin quirked at Rachel's lips. "Maybe in the right circumstances it could be quite… rewarding."

Chloe rolled her eyes playfully and sighed melodramatically. "Is sex the only thing you think about?"

"Not the only thing." Rachel swiftly protested.

Despite the objection, Chloe didn't seem all that convinced. "But the main thing, right?"

She shrugged nonchalantly at the mild accusation. "What else am I supposed to do around here?"

"You could always try reading." Chloe wryly offered up as she perched herself on the edge of the desk, sweeping aside the crap on it to make room.

"I could, but I'd rather live it." She countered confidently, as if it were the most logical and watertight reason to have ever existed.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you only like those trashy hate-fuck stories." Chloe grinned as she picked up an example of the said genre, presenting it to support her argument.

"Hey, they aren't trashy!" Rachel defended, snatching the dog eared book back from unappreciative hands. Nearly everything had been digitalized by this point, so physical books were hard to come by these days. They still existed, but were rarely seen. You either had to pay a lot of money, or be willing to dig through the endless mountains of trash left in abandoned houses.

Chloe's eyebrows raised skeptically at her protests. "Sure they aren't."

After distractedly flicking through the pages, Rachel carefully placed the disintegrating book, complete with detailed color images, on the other side of the desk just out of her companion's reach. "You're hardly a connoisseur of high culture."

"Is anybody nowadays?" The bluenette asked, casually fiddling with the various debris on the desk. It wasn't as disorganized as hers, but bad enough.

"Only for show," her oldest friend clarified. "Like always. Nobody really likes any of that pretentious crap, they just want to uphold appearances. Or if they do happen to like it, it's not exclusively."

"You're probably not too far wrong there." Chloe agreed, knowing that pretty much everyone in District One, also Two and Three for that matter, acted as if they were superior, divine beings too good for the rest to even gaze upon.

"Of course I'm right," she stated unashamedly. "I know people, better than they know themselves sometimes. Why do you think I'm so good at what I do?"

"Good at getting people into bed anyway." Chloe spelt out. Rachel was willing to do pretty much anything to get what she wanted, and if she had fun while doing it then all the better. She would never do something if it didn't benefit her to some degree. Usually in physical terms.

"And to do that, I have to know what people want. Get underneath their guards and masks." Rachel added. Over the years, she had learned a lot through practice. Very rarely did people present their true selves to you when first introduced. All that was needed was a little… coaxing.

Chloe shook her head with a small smile. She had to give it to Rachel, she did some impressive work. Most of the missions they'd worked on together had only been made possible because of her charms. "You always were good at bullshitting."

"I prefer the term, persuading." Rachel corrected while inspecting her nails.

Her nitpicking made Chloe's grin widen. "Well, whatever you want to call it, you've pretty much perfected it. As much trouble as you could potentially get us both in with it, I can't fault the results when it's successful."

Rachel gently swung her chair side to side. "The risk is worth the reward."

"I just wish we didn't have to take the risk." Chloe sighed, wondering just how much more danger they would find themselves in before they succeeded… hopefully anyway.

Picking up on this change of tone, Rachel nudged her shoulder. "Oh come on, where's your sense of adventure? You know as well as I do that if there was no danger involved, you'd be bored out of your mind."

There was no denying that, although too much danger would be difficult to manage. "I guess. Still, it would be nice to not feel like I'm about to get stabbed every five seconds."

"Well, you probably shouldn't have scouted Max out for the team then if that was the case." Rachel mentioned offhandedly.

"That's… different." Chloe mumbled, scratching her cheek lightly.

One of Rachel's blonde eyebrows quirked up in amusement, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief. "What, is that danger exciting for you? Certain risks making the… reward all the more fun. I get it."

Chloe rubbed at her face with her hands, exhaling deeply. "That's... not what I meant and you know it."

"But you're thinking it now, right?" The impish blonde smirked teasingly.

To ease the awkwardness, Chloe glanced down at the desk again, focusing on a solitary bullet while pushing it around with her index finger. "Quit twisting my words. All I meant was that she'll be a useful ally to have, well worth the risk. It's better than letting her run around and being constantly on guard, waiting for her to spring out of nowhere. At least we know where she is and can monitor her like this."

"I'm sure that's the only reason." Rachel chuckled lightly to herself.

Blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Just what are you getting at?"

Obviously enjoying this way too much, Rachel went on to explain. "Nothing in particular, just that it's not every day we come across someone so..."

She was cut off before she had the chance to finish the sentence. "Don't even finish that sentence."

Rachel held her hands up in defeat, unable to keep the shit-eating grin from her face. "It was going to be a totally innocent word, swear."

"Like I believe that." The bluenette scoffed disbelievingly. She knew Rachel too well. In all the time she'd known her, Chloe had yet to hear a single 'innocent' sentence leave her mouth. Her speech was littered with innuendos and suggestive undertones. It was safe to assume that everything had a sexual connotation, even if it didn't sound like it.

Now that her closest friend had been sufficiently embarrassed, Rachel turned back to the task at hand. "Getting back on track. As far as I can tell, Max seems to be genuine in her acceptance of your offer. There is nothing suggesting otherwise, yet anyway."

Rachel was one of, if not the most competent hackers Chloe knew. If she couldn't find anything shady, nobody could. She had a natural finesse for anything related to hacking, backed up with years of practice. It was almost like she had been born for the role. Well… born might not be the right word. Made was more fitting.

"If you can't find anything encrypted in her messages, then no-one can. I guess for now we keep an eye on her and hopefully win her trust." Chloe asserted as she pushed off the desk and stood up, stretching her arms above her head.

Rachel absentmindedly ran her fingers along the shaved side of her head, making a mental note to go over it again soon. "I have a few ideas in mind to help that along."

Exhaling deeply, Chloe gave her a mildly disapproving look. "Rach, don't go fucking around with her."

"Oh, do I detect a hint of jealousy?" She grinned, almost evilly.

"What? No," Chloe began to backtrack. "It's just that sometimes using your techniques can get us in more trouble. We can't force it."

"I suppose so," Rachel reluctantly agreed, not completely backing down though. "It's still an option though."

"I think we can come up with a better way than that to get her on side," Chloe swiftly added, not too keen on the suggestion. "Talking to you is like an uphill struggle sometimes. You know that, right?"

Rachel rested her chin on her hand, a lopsided grin forming. "You don't mean that. Conversations with me are simply delightful."

"Well, I'm putting an end to this 'delightful' conversation now." Chloe announced, using air quotation marks over delightful.

"To check up on Max?" Her companion challenged teasingly.

She shrugged off the evocative undertones of Rachel's question. "Somebody's got to keep an eye on her."

A playful glint flickered in hazel eyes. "Some of us more than others."

"...And I'm leaving now." To escape this relentless line of mockery, Chloe left the room. Sometimes, Rachel was only manageable in small doses. Her eyes zeroed in on Max's door, figuring that would be the most logical place to start. She knocked confidently, waiting around for a few seconds. When she received no reply, she went to look elsewhere in the warehouse.

After searching everywhere on ground level, she checked the basement, finding Max there hard at work. Deciding to return the favor from the other day, Chloe began to check Max out while she was busy working out. It was rare to witness such a dedicated training regime. Her prosthetic arm was fully on display thanks to the tank top, ending at her shoulder. There was surprisingly little scarring, skin and flesh almost seamlessly merging with metal. Naturally, some remnants of the presumed accident persisted, but the markings were very light, almost invisible. Medical advancements implemented at the turn of the 22nd Century were to thank for that. Chloe's eyes moved from Max's arm to the rest of her. She was in pretty good shape, which made sense with her career. There was some definition to her muscles, not overly though. Chloe suspected that she was more of a stealth killer than a brute force tank.

"Your chance to ogle me, huh?" Max questioned smugly, ending her workout once she'd noticed Chloe standing there, unashamedly staring.

Curious to see what she thought about that, Chloe came to rest just in front of her, about a foot or two away. "Would you be against that?"

This question seemed to catch Max off guard. After a few seconds, she glanced down at her feet and mumbled. "N-not particularly."

"Good to know. The feelings mutual." Chloe announced, reveling in the reaction.

Desperate for a distraction, Max grabbed a towel and wiped away the light sweat that had formed from her warm up, although most might consider it a full on workout. "Only problem with working out. You get all hot and sweaty afterwards."

"Some workouts are worth it," Chloe mentioned with a suggestive wink. "Especially with a sparring partner."

Max felt an amused smirk tug at her lips. "Depends on the person you're sparring with."

"Amen to that," Chloe chuckled before her expression turned smug. "Although just for the record, I'm one of, if not the best sparring partner you'll ever have."

This bold statement inspired a smile from Max as she rolled her shoulders. "Well, now I'm all warmed up, I guess we'll put that to the test then."

"You're one."

With the challenge made, Chloe smirked gleefully as she walked over to a small closet and pulled out a couple of duffel bags. She slung them over her shoulder and came back over to where Max was stood. In the bags were a head guard, hand pads, shin guards and feet pads, as well as a gum shield. It was an old school method of protecting you and your opponent from injury, but effective. Nowadays you could get all kinds of body molding padded suits and other protective gear for training to limit injury risk, but it was expensive like everything else.

"Better safe than sorry," she mentioned with an almost evil grin. "Things might get rough."

"Yeah, for you." Max countered with an equally confident smirk as she put in the gum shield. Within a few second, it had already begun to mold around her upper teeth and gums, forming a protective layer.

Chloe glanced up from the bag, grinning. "I'm counting on it."

After getting padded up, stretching and rehydrating, the two of them made their way to the middle section of the room. This modestly sized area had a padded floor, making it suitable for sparring. Chloe hit her hand pads together intimidatingly, before taking up a fighting stance. With her right foot forward and hands up in a strong guard, she began to lightly bounce on the balls of her feet ready for action. She really was serious about all this. Max mirrored her stance, focusing on the upcoming fight. They exchanged subtle nods, signaling that they were both ready.

"Just try not to stare at me for too long this time. I won't be going easy on you just because you're cute." Although the words were slightly lost because of her gum shield, they were still clear enough to understand.

It caught Max off guard, allowing for a slight advantage. One Chloe didn't hesitate in following up on. With one swift move, Max found herself on the floor. While the padded area helped to ease the pain of the fall, she still felt enough to make her wince. Mentally kicking herself for losing concentration over such an obvious distraction technique, she got up and brushed herself off.

"Dirty move, cheater!"

Chloe simply smirked at this. "Maybe it was, but it's true."

"You're almost as bad as Rachel." Max pointed out as she shuffled around the area, circling to look for a weak point.

"Guess I should try harder then."

Deciding to give her a taste of her own medicine, Max counterattacked with her own mildly suggestive comment. "Maybe I'd like that."

It was Chloe's turn to be stunned this time. Thanks to the earlier distraction tactics, Max felt no remorse when she capitalized on Chloe's shock. Within seconds, she had been roughly thrown to the floor, dazed and disoriented.

"Oh now you're asking for it." The bluenette grumbled as she stood up, no longer playing around.

Their fight lasted a little over fifteen minutes, neither willing to back down from the challenge. For the most part, they were fairly equally matched. Their styles were very different, Chloe being more of a brawler, power being key, while Max was more focused on deliberately placed swifter movements. Within the first five minutes or so, not a single hit had been landed, every attack either being dodged or blocked. After this mark however, things started to get more serious and physical. For a time, it appeared as if Chloe might come out on top of the fight, but this didn't last long. Max allowed her to think she had the upper hand, led her into a false sense of security. She laid there on the ground, panting as Chloe approached her with a self-satisfied smirk, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Had en-?" When Chloe was close enough, Max jumped up and swiftly swiped her feet out from underneath her, straddling her and pinning her hands so she couldn't fight back.

It took a moment for Chloe to fully process what had happened. When she finally got it, she did not look happy. From this position, there was little she could do to escape, not that it stopped her from trying. After wriggling and writhing against Max's hold for a while, she exhaled deeply and gave up. If this had been a real fight, she would've struggled until the end and probably managed to get out of it somehow. Since that wasn't the case here, it didn't really matter, well apart from a perspective of pride. Besides, hardly any fights nowadays were fought hand to hand. Still, there were very few people out there who could even get close to beating her. Knowing that Max had the potential just made Chloe more confident in her decision to involved Max in the PresCorp mission. If a little annoyed at losing.

"You just got lucky." She pouted, notoriously bad at accepting defeat.

Max's eyebrows raised with amused skepticism. "Uh-huh, _sure_ I did."

Both of them were showing signs of exertion now, light panting, faintly pink cheeks and sweat. They had really gone all out in that short period of time, desperate to prove themselves to one another. It was rare that either of them got so worked up over a simple sparring match. Chloe often messed around with Rachel, but even when they fought it was merely for friendly competition or fun. Never something as intense as this fight had been. When Max had traveled with Verge, she had also been trained up in hand to hand combat. Her competitive streak had been very limited, preferring to win but not really bothering too much if she lost against one of her fellow members. This time however, the urge to win had been so overwhelming.

"Do you think you can get off me now?" Chloe asked, very aware of their close proximity now. Her heart raced, only in part due to the fight. From here, she could get a better look at Max. One thing she hadn't noticed before was the light scattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks, way too many to count. Her lips were slightly parted as she caught her breath, exposing off white teeth. Intense blue eyes stared down at Chloe, filled with amusement, the left more than the right. Based on her appearance, it was very difficult to imagine Max as a seasoned mercenary capable of killing. As much as everyone had used it to tease her, she was actually pretty cute.

Max briefly considered this request, eventually deciding to revel in her victory while she could. If they were to fight again, there was highly possibility that Chloe would come out on top. Each fight had different conditions and circumstances surrounding it, tipping the odds in one opponent's favor. Since both of them seemed fairly well matched, it was impossible to accurately predict who would win.

"Let me think about it."

Her non-committal answer only made Chloe sigh resignedly. "Are you a sadist or something?"

"Maybe. You'll have to wait and see." Max grinned, using this opportunity to give back as good as she had got up until this point. If she was going to be hanging around with Rachel and Chloe, she would need to start upping her game. Otherwise, she'd end up dying of embarrassment.

"Promises, promises." Chloe chuckled, meeting Max's gaze with a coaxing smile.

Something about her expression and the twinkle in her eyes then then made Max momentarily forget her plan to make the most of her victory. Instead, she found herself staring again, just like last time. She had no idea why, but something about Chloe captivated her, some aura pulling her in. In all her time, she'd never felt anything quite like it.

After a long pause, Max finally spoke again, trying to reassert some order back into this conversation. "Seriously though, how do I know you're not going to pull a sneaky revenge move on me when I let you go?"

As their little sparring session had proven, Chloe was not afraid to fight dirty. In a real fight, one often for your life, there were no rules or fairness after all. She seemed to be fairly prideful too, so it wasn't out of the realms of possibility that she'd make a last ditch attempt to claim victory. Either way, Max definitely didn't want to risk it. Just as Chloe was about to protest, an amused chuckle drifted over from the bottom of the stairs. Both women looked over to find Rachel standing there at the bottom of the stairs with a shit-eating grin plastered to her face.

"Damn Max, I never thought you would be so bold. Props to you," she teased lightly as she approached them, knowing that it would lead to major awkwardness. In fact, she was banking on it. "I never pinned you down as the proactive, dominant type. It's always the quiet, shy ones that surprise you."

"I… no… it's not…" Words failed Max then, her confidence wavering. Suddenly feeling very embarrassed at the close proximity, she quickly scrambled off Chloe, her cheeks pink as she looked away shyly.

"I'm feeling left out," Rachel whined playfully before winking. "Although if you play with me, I'm not going to be submissive like Chloe."

"Knock it off, Rach. We were just blowing off some steam sparring," Chloe defended, standing up and brushing herself off. "And stop with the weird crap."

"I bet you were." That expected twinkle of delight entered Rachel eyes, her grin so wide it almost looked painful to maintain.

A deep sigh passed Chloe's lips at the obvious teasing, actually feeling a bit flustered at being caught in such a compromising position with next to no context. "Not like that. Jeez."

"Shame."

In an attempt to change the subject, Chloe turned the focus of the conversation to Rachel. "Anyway, did you want something?"

"Not particularly. I just came to investigate all the ruckus. Let's say, my curiosity has been satiated… for now," Happy with the havoc she had instigated, Rachel began to walk back up the stairs, glancing over her shoulder. "I'll be more careful where I suddenly burst into next time. Wouldn't want to walk in on something I'm not supposed to now, would I?"

When she had finally disappeared back upstairs, Max sighed while rubbing the back of her neck. "She doesn't quit, does she?"

Chloe shook her head with a fond smile. "You haven't even seen the half of it."

Max shrugged casually. "I guess it could be worse."

This piqued the bluenette's curiosity. "You think?"

"At least the person I'm being match made with is decent." Max reassured, hoping that Chloe felt the same.

"Ouch, decent? I'm offended." Chloe chuckled, an expression of mock-hurt forming on her face.

"Ok, more than decent. Happy?" Max rolled her eyes good-naturedly, expressing her mild, yet playful, annoyance over the pedantic behavior.

"How much more?" The bluenette asked, her attention solely on Max now.

One of Max's eyebrows raised in amusement, her tone light. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I would, actually." The relaxed air of conversation suddenly changed to a more intense atmosphere. Chloe's eyes zeroed in on Max's, holding her where she stood.

"Um, w-well…" Max stuttered, uncertain how to reply. She could feel the blush on her cheeks returning.

"I think those flushed cheeks tells me all I need to know." Chloe smirked knowing that, even though she lost the physical fight, she'd won this war.

"It's... because of the fight." She was swift to interject, maybe too quick.

Chloe's lip quirked up into a lopsided grin, her expression the pure embodiment of smugness. "Uh-huh, sure. _Just_ because of that. Got it."

Max didn't even bother protesting. There was no point. She was outmatched in this particular fight. Chloe picked up on this deliberate silence, but decided to follow up on it. She'd tormented Max enough… for now.

After a few awkward glance, Max cleared her throat, "Well, if that's all then I'll head on back to my room." Not waiting for a response, she sped off up the stairs to avoid any further embarrassment.

Eager to freshen up, Chloe headed off to the showers. She found herself smiling as she entered a stall, undressed and began to wash away the sweat from the recent sparring match. As the warm water hit her pale skin, all she could think about was the woman who had fled so suddenly just a few moments ago. Something about this young mercenary intrigued Chloe. So much about her as Camera Eye was mysterious and yet as Max, she was an open book, her emotions and thoughts seeming so easily read. On the one hand, you had the evasive mercenary figure who had killed countless times over, on the other was a socially awkward, very cute, woman who looked like she couldn't hurt a fly. The two images were very different, polarizing in fact. Chloe found herself wanting to get to know both sides better, but particularly the woman behind the name. Max as a person, not a symbol of death, was what _really_ caught her attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We shall be meeting the first addition to the team next chapter, who may be a familiar face. Have a great day, stay safe and see you next time.


	7. Assassin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A strong team will be required to take down PresCorp. Our trio take a step towards that goal by meeting up with their first potential team member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you are doing well today. I have the next chapter of this for you, so enjoy.

**Chapter Seven: Assassin**

**Three days later - Morning - District Nine - Max's Room**

Max laid on her bed with her hands resting on her stomach, staring up at the ceiling. It was strange not waking up in her rundown apartment, but she was gradually getting used to it. This room alone was probably as big as her entire apartment, not that it was a difficult feat to achieve. She glanced around, noticing her few belongings scattered around the room. Over the past few days, she'd managed to unpack everything that needed to be, which was a slight step up from her old place. Even though she had been there for about five years, she'd still had boxes left unopened.

Her new room was much cleaner looking, no mold or dampness, which was a welcomed change. There was one small window on the back wall, although there was barely any light to let in. Still, it was nice to get a view of the outside, however dull and dreary. The reinforced glass made this, and all other windows difficult to break, with emergency shutters ready for use as well. Just a few precautions. The bed was pushed lengthwise against the back wall in the furthest left-hand corner as you walked in, with a box serving as a makeshift bedside table. A metal desk sat across from it, close to the door. The other door in this room led into a bathroom, positioned on the adjacent wall to the bed. On the opposite wall was a built-in closet, aka her new storage space for random junk. It might take her a while to get truly settled here, but she was happy enough with the move for now.

She reached under her pillow and retrieved the yellowing photo she had uncovered while packing. It had been a long time since she'd properly examined this photo previously hidden away in the deep, dark depths of her closet. Having it in plain sight had been much too painful. Even now after thirteen years, the distant memory still haunted her. The cruelest thing was that loss had overshadowed the good memories she had of her parents, turning them bittersweet. It just wasn't fair. So many questions remained unanswered. She just couldn't lay her parents memory to rest until she found those answers, one way or another.

After carefully tucking the photo back under her pillow, she sighed lightly. At times like this, she felt like a lost child again, aimlessly wandering the streets. How different would her life have been if her parents hadn't died? Very, she suspected. It was highly unlikely that she would have gotten involved with Verge, or the mercenary life altogether for that matter. After all, it had been her circumstances that first bred the necessity to join. It was safe to assume, using that logic, that she would've never taken this path otherwise. That was, and could only ever be, a speculation now.

Without even bothering to knock Chloe suddenly burst into Max's room, bounding over to her bed excitedly and launching herself onto it with all the grace of a blind elephant. "Yo, Super Max, we're making a move. We are all set for our first family trip."

Max managed to move out of the way just in time so that she didn't get crushed and prevented herself from being catapulted off by grabbing onto the nearest bedpost. Once safely balanced again, she clutched at her chest and exhaled deeply. "Jeez, Chloe. You startled me. My heart feels like it's about to explode right now."

"That's the effect I have on people." Chloe grinned broadly, looking pleased with the early morning devastation she had caused.

Still calming herself down from the unexpected intrusion, Max took a deep breath. "Well, this reason isn't fun."

An impish smirk tugged at Chloe's lips, one reminiscent of the grin Rachel often had plastered to her face, her left eyebrow raising suggestively. "I can work on making your heart race in a different circumstance if you like. You won't be disappointed."

Max gave her a skeptical look. "Why am I getting a Rachel-esque vibe from that statement?"

"She's not the only relentless flirt around here. I've got to keep up with her." Chloe grinned, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Because that's just what I need, two of you at it." Max rolled her eyes playfully, hoping that one day she would be able to keep up with the impish pair. "Why does everything end up being a competition with you?"

There was a flicker of hesitance in Chloe's otherwise teasing expression. "If it's not something you want, we can tone it down."

"I… that's not what I meant," Max began to backtrack and rubbed the back of her neck, not wanting to make her feel bad. "It's not like I mind it or anything." Quite the opposite in fact. "I guess I'm just not used to all the attention."

The once wavering smile vanished with this reassurance. "Well, you should start getting used to it, rockstar."

"Maybe one day," Max chuckled lightly, deciding to pull the conversation back on track. "Anyway, you said something about a family trip. That's an interesting way of putting it."

"Well, that's kind of what it is," Chloe stated matter-of-factly, lazily tracing the thin, swirling lines of the blanket she was sat on with her index finger. "We're all on the same team and will be spending a lot of time together. We're like one big, dysfunctional family. So, you'd better get hurry that bony, white ass of yours up."

That's what Verge had been to Max for the better part of eight years. Each member had been like family to her, with Ash heading the group in a kind of mom role. It made sense since she was the leader after all. Wraith, the hacker, had also been a parental figure for her, more like an embarrassing dad type than anything. She had made sure to tease Max at every possible. The other members also had their own respective family roles in Max's eyes. The weapons expert and oldest member, Wren, was kind of like a wise uncle to her. He had taught her a lot, skills that had saved her ass more times than she could count, and was always patient with her. Axel, the muscle of the group, had been like an older brother to her. He was the first synth she had ever come into contact with, knowingly at least. Despite the six-year age gap, he had doted on her and also Rica, who had been a year older than Max and joined Verge in the same year, 2123. Again, she was like a sister, getting into all kinds of mischief and pulling Max along with her schemes. Above all else, Max missed that dynamic.

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly, putting on the stereotypical, disgruntled teen accent. "Ok, mom."

The bluenette's expression turned stern, although it was plain to see the suppressed grin just itching to be released. "Hey, don't you go sassing me, young lady. I have to power to ground you."

Max shook her head, an amused grin tugging at her lips. "I'm practically quaking in my little boots."

"And so you should. Anyway, we'll be leaving asap. I just need to get Rachel's ass out of bed, not an easy task, then we can get going." With that, Chloe slid off the bed and left the room.

Now alone, Max began to get ready for their group outing. Once geared up in her more inconspicuous lightweight armor, along with gathering her other personal effects together including Reaper, she headed out into the hallway.

"Rach, come on." Chloe's voice carried over from Rachel's room. "We have this issue nearly every time something important comes up."

"Five more minutes…" The mumbled protest was just audible through the crack in the door directly opposite Chloe's room.

Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, Max popped her head inside. Posters and trinkets, like dreamcatchers, lined the walls. The color scheme was bold and bright, mostly warmer shades, which was unusual for anywhere in Neo-Seattle. Now she thought about it, this kind of matched Rachel's personality, unashamedly loud and in your face. Chloe was stood by the bed, trying unsuccessfully to wrestle the covers from Rachel.

"Need help?" Max offered.

"As much as I hate to admit failure, yes. If Rachel doesn't wake up of her own accord, then she's almost impossible to budge." Chloe sighed, beckoning her over. After a major struggle, they somehow managed to get Rachel up.

"You guys are cruel." Rachel pouted, stretching herself out on the bed.

"We have work to do and you know it," Chloe countered, crossing her arms. "You're the one who's always reminding me of that. Practice what you preach."

"Fine, use my own arguments against me."

With one swift movement, Rachel stood up. She went over to the closet and started stripping down without warning. Max turned away shyly, looking down at her feet. She suddenly felt a pressure on her back, arms loosely wrapping around her. "No need to be so shy, Max. I don't mind if you look." Rachel purred in her ear, quite comfortable in just her bra and underwear.

"We don't have time for this." Chloe mumbled, feeling irritated by the whole thing, and not because they were wasting time either.

Rachel picked up on this, deciding to push her a little. "Hmm…" She wrapped her arms tighter around Max, really pushing into her back now. "I can make time."

Chloe frowned at her before storming off. "Do whatever you want."

"Interesting." Rachel mumbled under her breath as she let go off Max, continuing to get changed.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Max stuttered, still flustered by the whole situation.

Now fully-clothed again Rachel stood in front of Max, her expression contemplative. "I was just testing out a little theory. Nothing to worry about."

"I don't know… Chloe seemed pretty pissed for some reason." Max observed, feeling worried.

Rachel waved away her concern. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. She'll get over herself eventually."

Max wasn't entirely convinced but didn't question further. "If you say so."

When they were all ready, they headed on out to their destination. The first part of the journey was kind of awkward, Chloe not being very responsive to attempts at conversation. She still seemed annoyed. After some major coaxing from Rachel, Chloe was back to her old self in no time and chatting freely, whatever had been bothering her before forgotten, at least temporarily. Soon, the conversation turned to today's mission.

"So, you never told me where we were going." Max prompted, curious to know what they would be up to today.

Chloe turned to her as they pressed on. "Right, well we're going to meet up with our first potential ally. She's been difficult to track down, but worth it if we can get her to play along."

They turned down a dingy alleyway, one of the many snaking through District Nine. After following it a short way, they took a sharp left, turning into an enclosed area. As they came to a stop, Max began to feel uneasy about the lack of possible escape routes. "Because this doesn't look like a trap at all."

"We've checked everything thoroughly, so I highly doubt it," Rachel reassured. "Although, you may want to get ready to leg it if we made a small error in our calculations."

Max couldn't tell if she was joking or not. "Small error?"

Rachel leaned back against one of the brick walls, crossing her arms. "Trust me, if anyone's going to get attacked here, it'll be me. So, you've got nothing to worry about."

Before Max could ask what she meant by this, a demanding voice cut into their conversation. "You're damn right it'd be you, out of everyone here, who gets attacked."

They turned simultaneously to see a figure wearing body armor and a visor helmet appeared from the shadows. The figure took off their helmet, revealing a woman with short blonde hair and sharp, brown eyes. Her lip curled into a disapproving sneer, her expression dripping with contempt.

"Well, it's nice to see you too, Victoria." Rachel mumbled under her breath, seeming to have expected a cold reception.

The woman's eyes narrowed in response. "Don't even talk to me right now."

"Oooh, touchy." Rachel teased with a light smirk, really pushing her luck.

"I swear…" Victoria grumbled, shooting daggers at the impish blonde and receiving a charming grin in return.

"Guys break up the lover's tiff." Chloe interjected, playing mediator.

As if a switch had flipped, the hostility shifted over to the bluenette. "And you can shut the fuck up too, Price."

She held up her hand resignedly, attempting to keep the peace. "Hey, no need for that."

"Whatever. Just say your piece quickly." Victoria ordered, not messing around or wasting time with pleasantries. Her eyes wandered over to Max, sizing her up and silently questioning her presence.

"We need your help." Rachel began, ignoring her curtness.

"Of course you do." Victoria placed her hand on her hip, waiting impatiently for further explanation.

"We're going to take down PresCorp and could use your impressive skills." Rachel explained, keeping it vague for now.

"Flatter won't get you anywhere." Victoria discarded the comment.

Rachel shrugged off the harshness. "I'm just stating the truth. So, will you help or not?"

Victoria appeared to be deep in thought, weighing up her options. All the while, her attention was almost solely focused on Rachel. After a brief silence, she finally gave her answer. "You're just lucky that I really don't like PresCorp. Oh, and for the record, this does not make us friends. And I expect to get paid." Without hesitation she began to stride off, glancing back over her shoulder when she realized the others weren't following her. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Chloe and Rachel exchanged meaningful glances before setting off, with Max following close behind. If the journey here had been awkward, it was nothing compared to now. After what felt like an eternity, they finally made it back to the HQ. Once inside, Victoria skulked off out of sight.

When she had disappeared, Chloe sighed and rubbed her face with her hand before turning to Rachel. "If I had known what a fuckfest this was going to be, I'd have left you at home."

"You don't mean that. Besides, as much as Victoria complains she probably wouldn't have helped us without me." Rachel protested, sinking down onto the couch in the main section of the warehouse.

Chloe obviously didn't buy that. "Oh yes, because it really came across that way."

"She'll come around. I'll make sure of it." Rachel reassured to put her mind at ease.

This didn't ease the worries. "Why did I just get a very bad feeling about this all of a sudden?"

Rachel waved away her concern. "It'll be fine. You need to chillax."

Itching to find out just what was going on, Max finally blurted out the question that had been on her mind for a while now. "What's the deal with you and Victoria anyway?"

"It's… kind of complicated to explain, but I'll give it a go. Just because it's you," Rachel initially seemed a bit reluctant to divulge her past, but this hesitancy was fleeting. "Remember when Chloe mentioned that I pissed off an assassin? Well, that's Victoria."

"Do you guys make a habit of keeping people around who have tried to kill you in the past?" Max smirked lightly.

Chloe returned the grin, seeing the humorous side as usual. "Recently, yes. Just for the record, I don't tend to make a habit out of it."

Sinking back further into her seat, Rachel continued, "To cut a long story short, I unwittingly messed up one of her missions, letting her target get away. She was über pissed and came after me in a fit of rage. To get her off my back I rectified my mistake by helping her track her target down again and… let's just say one thing led to another." A wide, lopsided grin tugged at her lips accompanied by a mischievous twinkle in her hazel eyes. "Unless you would like me to go into explicit detail, which I'm more than happy to do."

"Nobody wants that." Chloe swiftly interjected, answering on Max's behalf too.

"Your loss," Rachel shrugged. "After that incident, we bumped into each other a few times and... I kind of pissed her off last time, hence the hostility. It's probably best to give her some space for now, or risk getting your head bitten off." Max kind of wanted to press for more information, feeling as if Rachel was glossing over a lot in her summary. She didn't want to push her luck too much by prying into personal business, despite the overwhelming temptation. Finished with her story, Rachel stood up and stretched her arms above her head. "I'm going to see where Victoria is to make peace so she won't stab me while I sleep."

Quick to jump in her grave, Chloe flopped down on the couch. "Good luck."

"I might need it." Rachel chuckled lightly before wandering off to look for Victoria.

After re-adjusting herself, so she was laying on the couch with her knees bent to keep her legs from dangling over the edge, Chloe placed her hands behind her head. "Man, I am totally wiped now."

Max perched herself on the arm of the couch, gently nudging Chloe's right knee. "Oh come on, we hardly did anything."

"Being around both Rachel and Victoria for any amount of time is tiring." Chloe defended, returning the nudge with her foot.

"I can see what you mean. They seem like a lot to handle one on one, let alone together." Max observed. Rachel was more than enough to deal with on her own, without adding Victoria into the mix.

This earned her a tired smile. "Yeah, they are. Something you will soon learn."

"Lucky me."

"Hey, it's not all bad. At least I'm around, right?" The bluenette pointed out, half-joking.

"I guess so." Max grinned cheekily.

Chloe shuffled on the couch, her hands coming to rest on her stomach. "You really know how to kick a girl while she's down."

The young mercenary held up her hands resignedly, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Kidding."

Blue eyes met hers. "You'd better be because I was just starting to like having you around."

"I wouldn't want to jeopardize that approval now, would I?" To be honest, Max didn't want to lose the rapport she had started to build up so far, especially with Chloe.

"If you know what's good for you, then no." Chloe agreed, loudly cracking her knuckles.

Max couldn't help but smile at her newly gained companion. "Well, it's a good thing I do know what's good for me then, huh?"

"Definitely." Chloe sat up and rubbed her face with her hand. "I just hope that this place will still be standing tomorrow. Arguments between Rachel and Victoria have had a tendency to go nuclear."

That didn't surprise Max in the slightest from what she had seen so far. "Let's hope so. I literally just moved in here after all."

"I think you'll be safe in your room, but… you could always chill in my room if it ends up becoming a war zone or something." Chloe offered.

"That might not suck. Thanks for the offer."

Chloe went uncharacteristically quiet then, beginning to twiddle her thumbs. "It doesn't just have to be to escape getting caught in the middle of a major battle either. Feel free to just waltz on in whenever you like."

One of Max's eyebrows raised in wry amusement. "Oh yeah, and I'll totally forget to knock too like you did this morning."

"Sorry," Chloe apologized, not sounding all that sincere. "I'll knock in future. Maybe."

Max rolled her eyes playfully. "Because that really instills me with confidence. I think I'm going to start changing in my bathroom."

"You are no fun." She seemed a bit disappointed by this, but maybe that was just Max's imagination.

"I would like to keep some of my dignity, thanks. Whatever's left of it anyway." Max added as an afterthought.

"Dignity is overrated," Chloe scoffed. "It keeps you from doing fun shit."

"Like getting walked in on while changing?" Max challenged playfully.

The bluenette just shrugged, her lip quirking into a cheeky smirk. "That'd be fun for me at least."

Max narrowed her eyes skeptically. "Uh-huh. Maybe not so much for me."

"That depends, I guess."

This piqued her interest. "On what?"

"A lot of things." Chloe answered vaguely, her grin widening.

"Care to share?" Max asked, curiosity overshadowing her mild apprehensions about delving deeper into this line of conversation.

"I'll just leave that to your imagination." She smirked lightly in response, standing up from the couch and stretching. "And on that note, I have shit to do. Catch you on the flip side." With that, Chloe wandered off to do her own thing.

Now that her mind was full of mildly embarrassing thoughts, thanks to Chloe, Max headed off to her room to do some research and get in touch with an old contact. Unsurprisingly, she found it difficult to concentrate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we now have Victoria added to the mix. How will her addition affect the group? Have an awesome day, stay safe out there and I'll see you next time.


	8. Shelter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time for the group to seek out another potential member for the mission against PresCorp, this time one of Max's old contacts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. I managed to find some time to write between all that lovely uni work I have to do... cue internal crying. Anyway enjoy the chapter.

**Chapter Eight: Shelter**

**A few days later – Afternoon – District Nine – Max's Room**

It had been a few days since Victoria joined the ragtag band of misfits aiming to take PresCorp down. Over that time, she hadn't spoken much to anybody and when she had it was more like an argument than anything. Rachel seemed to enjoy riling her up, more so than anyone else. Victoria's harsh and icy attitude had put Max off from even getting within five feet of her up until now. However, she couldn't deny her curiosity. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, as per usual, especially related to Rachel. She had tried to entice answers from the mischievous blonde, but she had been evasive and cryptic. With that avenue of investigation closed off, the only two left were either Chloe or Victoria. Chloe seemed reluctant to provide anything concrete, redirecting her back to Rachel. That narrowed it down to just Victoria, who may or may not rip Max's head off if she even looked at her the wrong way.

Despite this reservation Max's curiosity, something others might call nosiness, eventually got the better of her. As far as she was aware Victoria was in her room right now. Surprisingly she'd taken the one next to Rachel's. This was a weird choice from Max's perspective since all the pair seemed to do was fight whenever they saw each other. There had to be something more going on between them than Rachel had briefly indicated.

Max slid off her bed and cautiously made her way over to Victoria's room. Her heart began pounding in her chest, and her throat became dry. Pushing through her worries, she reached the door and gently knocked. She heard shuffling from behind the door and, a few seconds later, it opened.

Victoria stood there in the doorway, her eyes narrowing when she noticed Max. "What do you want?"

The curtness of her tone made any composure or confidence Max had managed to build up on the journey over here fade. "Uh… I just thought I'd come say hi."

"Who are you supposed to be anyway?" Victoria asked after a moment of awkward silence, her eyes trained on Max like a hawk.

"I'm Max."

The corners of Victoria's lips curled in mild disapproval. "So I assume you're just another stray Price picked up off the street."

"Something like that." Max replied vaguely.

This vague answer didn't sit well with Victoria, her brow furrowing and her jaw tightening. "It's not like I really care or anything."

Starting a coherent conversation with Victoria was beginning to feel like a chore. She wasn't very response, instead showing the utmost condescension towards the young mercenary.

"I heard that you know Rachel." Max prompted, deciding that she may as well go for a more direct approach since things were gradually deteriorating.

This statement made Victoria's brow twitch. "What of it?"

The defensiveness of her response shocked Max a bit. She had expected some resistance, but this was more intense than she could have imagined. "Nothing, just trying to make conversation."

"If you must know, yes I do," Victoria answered sounding bored as she inspected her nails, evading further discussion. "Any other pointless conversation topics to waste my time?"

Max was nearly ready to abandon this ill-thought-out plan, but she just couldn't give up that easily. In this world, giving up achieved nothing. The only way you got anywhere was to keep pushing, regardless of the outcome. With that in mind, she continued undeterred. "I was just curious about you."

One of Victoria's eyebrows raised in mild interest. "Curious?"

Seeing that she was making progress, Max zeroed in on this line of conversation. "Yeah. We'll be working together and it'd probably be a good idea to get to know each other better."

Victoria stared her down and sized her up before sighing. "If you must. You probably won't leave me alone until I answer your mundane questions."

Stifling the triumphant smile threatening to break, Max scoured her mind for questions to ask. "Okay, well can you tell me a bit about yourself?"

"As you may already know, I'm an assassin." Victoria answered almost immediately.

"I'd heard that from Rachel and Chloe, yeah." Max admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.

"I figured as much," Victoria muttered to herself before focusing her attention back on Max. "I'm part of the Chase network, the head of it to be exact. I'm sure you've heard of us."

The Chase network comprised of several coordinated groups of talented individuals, ranging from hackers to assassins, trying to make a living and reputation in the major cities. They were one of many attempts to form a comprehensive network in the 22nd Century, but unlike most, they were successful. Above all else, they were famed for their almost militaristic precision and efficiency. They had opened up a branch in Neo-Seattle around two years ago, according to underground rumors. Everybody knew, and in some cases feared, the name.

"I think everybody has. They're pretty successful." Max affirmed. She had come across the name several times since living in Neo-Seattle and had been impressed by their work.

That answer seemed to please Victoria, replying with a faint air of superiority and a smug expression, "And so they should. We're one of, if not the most feared organized networks around, at least on par with Watchdog. Although I would argue we are far more efficient." Her expression held a slight hint of curiosity as she looked at Max. "Now that I have divulged something about myself, how about you tell me something about you. Don't get the wrong idea about us being friends or something, I just don't want to be at a disadvantage."

From the sounds of it, neither Rachel nor Chloe had told Victoria much about her. So, she'd have to start from the basics. "Well, I guess we're not so different after all. You might not believe this but I'm actually a mercenary."

There was a mild flicker of disbelief in Victoria's eyes when she heard this. "You're kidding."

Max smiled at the predictable reaction. Out of everyone running around Neo-Seattle, she was probably the least likely to be seen as a mercenary based on her shyness and non-threatening demeanor. "Nope. You think that's unbelievable then wait until you hear this. I was actually hired by PresCorp to kill Chloe."

"And you ended up working with her?" Victoria observed thoughtfully.

Now that she had said it aloud, Max had to admit that it was a strange situation. "Weird, huh?"

Victoria just shrugged. "It's not all that uncommon I suppose… PresCorp you say, so that must mean you are fairly competent, that or they are idiots."

A small smirk tugged at Max's lips. "Not to brag but I'm pretty good at my job."

"So good that you betrayed the company who hired you and instead are working to dismantle them?" Victoria asked with a hint of wryness.

Max replied to this with a shrug. "We all have our bad days."

"It seems so," Victoria glanced back over her shoulder into her room. "Look, I have to go now but… maybe this chat wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's still not enjoyable but I suppose if you have to talk to me at some point then I can put up with it."

The only possible response to this mock begrudging behavior was a smile. "Got it. See you around."

Victoria nodded in response and closed her door once more. Progress was progress. Before Max had the chance to turn around, she felt someone grab her from behind and lift her off the floor. Instinct kicked in, her body moving of its own accord to escape this mystery assailant. She managed to get out of the hold and quickly tackled her attacker to the floor. Her expression turned apologetic when she realized who it was. Chloe was laying underneath her, rubbing her head looking disoriented.

"Shit, sorry Chloe." Max apologized as she jumped off and began to check the damage.

"'S cool." Chloe managed, still a bit dazed. "I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that."

Max bit her lip, glancing down at the bluenette currently sprawled out on the floor. "I over-reacted."

Chloe lethargically waved away her apology as she caught her breath. "No, you didn't. If someone randomly grabs you unannounced you have every right to fend them off. I guess I should have said something. You sure pack a punch for someone so small, you know."

"Shouldn't you already know that?" Max pointed out, recalling their previous sparring match.

"Yeah I guess," Chloe reluctantly agreed. "I'm just so used to messing around with Rachel that I forget not everybody knows I have a tendency to grab people."

Max's brow furrowed at the unnecessary injury she'd caused. "At least I know now, right?"

Chloe nodded, an action that made her face scrunch up slightly. "Maybe I can avoid getting a concussion from now on."

"Anything I can do to make it up to you." Max tentatively asked, ready to do whatever it took to apologize properly.

"Hmm… good question," her thoughtful expression turned impish as she locked eyes with Max. "Maybe you could kiss my forehead better."

The suggestion made Max's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. "Are you serious?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" Chloe coaxed, laying there and waiting to see what Max would do.

Her mind began to whir at the suggestion. Out of all the things she had expected, this wasn't one of them. The way Chloe was looking at her now, with challenge but also something buried underneath that, made her feel suddenly nervous. Before her resolve could falter, Max crouched down beside Chloe on the floor and hesitantly kissed her forehead.

"B-better?" Max asked shyly, trying not to freak out.

Chloe offered her an alluring smile, her eyes soft yet intense and her tone husky. "Yep, but you know there are other places that hurt too."

"Guys, the rooms are literally just there." Rachel's playfully teasing tone echoed from behind them, breaking the atmosphere. She was standing about a foot away from them, grinning from ear to ear. When Max noticed her, she jumped up with bullet-like reflexes. It was all too late not to be seen, though.

"I wouldn't sneak up on Max like that if you know what's good for you." Chloe advised as she used the wall to get up.

"Did you just get floored?" Rachel asked with wry amusement.

"Maybe…" She vaguely replied as she brushed herself off.

"It was a knee-jerk reaction. I didn't mean to hurt her." Max was quick to clarify, feeling guilty and confused about what had just happened, as well as a bit happy. It was strange. She wasn't happy that she'd hurt Chloe at all, but the things that had happened as a result made her feel like smiling.

"Max, it's fine already." Chloe mentioned when she was finally upright again.

Rachel nodded sympathetically. "Chloe does have a habit of biting off more than she can chew."

Max saw an opportunity to bring up an important conversation. "Speaking of injury, I know someone who might be able to help from a medical perspective."

"With Chloe around, that would be wise." Rachel grinned wryly while looking over to the bluenette.

"Hey! I don't get injured _that_ much." She protested, her eyes narrowing and brow furrowing in mild disapproval.

"Right, like now demonstrates," Chloe obviously didn't have a witty retort to this because she simply flipped Rachel off. This earned her a chuckle. "So mature."

"My contact told me to drop by whenever I had time." Max added, eager to get her contact on board. She was pretty confident about this.

"We may as well go now then since we're not really doing much," Rachel announced as she looked over to Victoria's room. "I'll just go tell Victoria to hold down the fort."

Unlike Rachel, Chloe didn't seem too hot on that idea. "Is that wise? She might try and, I dunno, put killer ants in your room or something."

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Rachel answered nonchalantly.

Chloe shook her head. "I don't know if you're brave or stupid."

"Brave is the obvious answer here." Rachel grinned as she knocked on Victoria's door. Once she had let her know they were leaving, an exchange that was short and with surprisingly few insults, the three of them began their journey, this time following Max's lead.

They took the winding shadowy side streets as usual until they reached their destination. The building before them appeared to be an abandoned storehouse, similar to the one where Chloe and Rachel had set up shop. One main difference, however, was that it was a major fixer-upper. This particular area of District Nine notably predated others by a good thirty years or so, and more in some cases, particularly in regards to the architecture. The original materials used had been severely weather-damaged, with visible patched-up areas, worn down sections, and rust. They had, after all, been created to withstand gentler weather conditions than the ones persisting in the 22nd Century. It was as if with one gust of wind it would all collapse. Despite the weaknesses, the building was still standing.

"And I thought _our_ place was a shitpit." Chloe muttered to herself as she took in the building's shabby appearance.

"To be fair, that could be used to describe pretty much everywhere in District Nine." Rachel pointed out matter-of-factly.

Chloe thought on that for a moment before replying. "True enough, some are just worse. However impossible that sounds."

"Not as impossible as it should be." Rachel mentioned sadly, her brow furrowing slightly at that thought.

The three of them approached the warehouse, examining their surrounding as they walked. This area was more exposed than at their HQ but still hidden away. Unless you knew what to look for, there was little chance of actually finding the building, or giving it a second glance if you stumbled across it. Inside was another story. The interior was clean, almost clinically so. It was a refreshing change. Three clear sections were visible in the main room. In the largest part, several rows of metal framed beds were placed from the wall inwards, leaving only a thin walkway in the middle. One of the sections appeared to be a medical bay and the last a kitchen dining area. Several doors led off from this main room, but it was impossible to tell where they led.

So many people were dotted around the room, some of them asleep while others were lined up over by the kitchen to be fed and a few were over by the medical bay awaiting examination or treatment. There were a lot of children among the adults, most likely orphans left to the cruel streets of Neo-Seattle. A couple of the adults appeared to work here, helping those around them. They were much to busy to even acknowledge Max, Chloe and Rachel's presence. 

Out of nowhere, a girl ran up excitedly and grabbed hold of Max's legs. "Max!"

Chloe and Rachel were obviously not expecting this in the slightest as they exchanged confused glances before looking questioningly at Max. Before she had the chance to give some form of explanation, a woman with blonde hair tied up into an almost immaculate bun, bar the single stray strand hanging down by her right ear, came to examine the cause of the commotion.

Her clothing was fairly basic in both color and style, dark of course. By this point, the world seemed void of color, a feeling the fashion captured. It did at least allow for greater subtlety and blending in. Any flash of color immediately drew attention, almost always the wrong kind. Tight fitting black pants tucked neatly into ankle boots, not a rip or crease in sight. Fingerless gloves ran all the way up to her elbows, partially hidden under a short, hooded jacket with three-quarter length sleeves. Underneath this was a pristine button up, collared shirt with a thin chain hanging down from her neck. Attached to it was a small cross, not an uncommon sight in these desperate times. The dim light glinted off the various golden bands on her right hand as she lightly played with the cross. Her style was much tidier and clean cut than the average of District Nine, not that this was a hard feat to achieve.

When her hazel eyes fell on Max, she broke out into a fond smile. "I had a feeling it was you coming over when Lynn raced off."

Max returned her smile warmly. "How are you doing, Kate?"

The woman now identified as Kate shrugged in response to this question. "Could be better, could be worse."

"I hear that." Max nodded sympathetically, placing her hand on Lynn's head as she clamped onto her leg, gently ruffling her hair.

"And you?" Kate returned the question, her hazel eyes full of gentle inquiry.

"Actually, I'm doing fine." Max admitted after some thought. Things were going pretty well, some might argue _too_ well. She didn't want to get ahead of herself, especially since it was early days yet.

"Good to hear." Kate looked over to Chloe and Rachel, offering them a warm smile. "What can I do for you all?"

Unsure how to go about this, Max replied vaguely. "We need your help."

This seemed to confuse Kate. "My help? That's a first. What for?"

After glancing around, Max guided her over to the side and began to explain the situation making sure to keep her voice low. "Well, long story short we're planning on taking PresCorp out."

From Kate's mildly bewildered expression, this was obviously a surprise. "Wow. That was… the last thing I was expecting."

Max nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, me too. I know you're busy with this place, but we could really use your med expertise."

"I see," Kate went silence for a good few minutes, deep in thought, before she replied to the plea for help. "If you really are going to be taking PresCorp down then I want to help. Neo-Seattle is suffering because of their influence. You just have to look here to see that. There are others here who can stand in my place. I will need to check up here every now and then, but other than that I am at your disposal."

"Thanks, Kate." Max grinned appreciatively.

Her dorky smile was returned with an equally dazzling one. "I should be the one thanking you, Max. You're doing so much to help these people."

"We have a place you can stay if you want. It's not too far from here." Chloe mentioned, happy that Kate was more agreeable than Victoria had been.

"Just let me pack up and say my goodbyes, then I can come with you." With that, Kate strolled over to a door at the back, presumably where she spent most of her time nowadays.

Rachel beamed at her. "Take your time."

Without further delay, Kate disappeared off into a back room. Lynn wandered off after her, presumably to help pack. The moment they left, Rachel turned to Max with a wry grin. "So I take it you guys... know each other then?"

Max frowned at the suggestive tone. "Not in the way you're thinking."

"Oh, you can already read my mind that well, huh? We were obviously meant to be Max." Rachel grinned, glancing over to Chloe. The bluenette didn't say anything, not wanting to give her the desired reaction.

Deciding it was best to ignore that comment if she could, Max went on to explain. "I stumbled across this place fairly soon after coming to Neo-Seattle. I saw the amazing, life-saving work Kate does. She gives people shelter, food and medical aid to whoever needs it without wanting anything in return. Whenever I can spare any money or resources to support her, I do."

"Look at Mahatma Max." Chloe smirked, gently nudging her shoulder.

Max just shrugged as if it were nothing. "I just know that it's tough for adults, let alone kids, living on the streets from experience. If I can help, then I will. Neo-Seattle needs more places like this and people like Kate."

"Almost sounds like you have a crush on her." Rachel teased, although most of that was directed at Chloe more than Max. To her merit, Chloe was holding her own against the blonde prankster. Years of practice had prepared her for the onslaught of playful mockery. Sometimes it caught her out, but for the most part, she managed to keep her composure.

"I'd be so lucky," Max went quiet for a moment, glancing over to Chloe very briefly before she continued speaking. "Unfortunately, I seem to have a thing for 'bad' girls."

One of Rachel's eyebrows raised at this answer. "Bad girls, huh? Good to know."

"I feel like I'm going to regret ever saying that. Is it too late to pass that off as a joke?" Max sighed, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink as regret crept onto her face.

"Yep, much too late," Rachel announced with delight. "I don't think you will regret divulging that information, though."

Her reassurance didn't instil Max with confidence. "We'll see."

"Sooner rather than later I hope." Rachel added, her eyes lingering on Chloe a split second longer than normal.

Kate returned then with a small duffel bag, cutting their conversation short. She approached Lynn with a serious expression. "Now Lynn, you have to be a good girl while I'm gone. Okay?"

Lynn scuffed her shoes along the floor. "Yeah, I'll be really good."

Kate's lip quirked upwards into a small smile at the reluctant promise. She knelt down and pulled the young girl into a hug. "I'll drop by as often as I can."

When she finally pulled away, Lynn's face scrunched up in worry as she turned to face Max. "Take care of my sister."

Max crouched down in front of her with a reassuring smile. "I will."

"Pinkie promise?" Lynn extended her pinkie finger tentatively waiting for a reaction.

"Pinkie promise," Max smiled as she linked fingers with the girl. "When she comes to visit I might tag along sometimes."

The fearful expression vanished almost in an instant, replaced with a broad grin. "That'd be awesome."

A smug smirk formed on Rachel's face as she watched the scene unfold. "Well… just when I think you couldn't get any cuter."

"Knock it off." Max mumbled, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden.

Chloe shook her head with a smile. "Just when we think we've figured you out, something like this turns up out of the blue."

"What can I say? I'm a complex gal." Max countered.

Blue eyes met with gentle intensity. "I'll say."

"Alright enough with the heart eyes," Rachel chuckled gleefully. "Let's get our asses in gear, before we get caught preferably."

After bidding goodbyes, the four of them made their way outside and back to the base. Again, they took the back streets to avoid trouble. Kate knew her way around this area in particular and was more than happy to offer up shortcuts she'd come across in her time. Chloe insisted on carrying Kate's bag on the way back and wouldn't take no for an answer. When they finally made it to the hideout, they made a bee-line for the bedrooms to get Kate settled in.

The second Chloe placed Kate's bag down on the floor Rachel grabbed onto her arm. "We'll leave you two alone to catch up."

"Hey, wait…" Chloe's protests fell on deaf ears as she was dragged away.

Now alone, Kate glanced over to her old friend. "So, how did you get involved in all this exactly?"

"It's… complicated." Max replied, rubbing the back of her neck.

Kate's expression turned unusually stern then. "Oh no, Max. Don't pull that one on me. If you want me to help, you have to tell me."

While normally Kate wouldn't say boo to a ghost, when she had her mind set on something she could be extremely persistent and forceful. "Ok, fine. I was employed by PresCorp to take Chloe out, but I had a… change of heart shall we say."

This answer understandably confused her. "PresCorp employed you?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't have done it if they hadn't been offering so much for the job." Max eagerly add.

There was a moment of silence as Kate took everything in. "You stretch yourself too thin sometimes."

"Make that all the time." The young mercenary corrected.

"I didn't want to be the one who said that, but yes." Kate agreed reluctantly.

"Well, that's not going to change anytime soon, especially now." Max sighed, thinking of the difficult road ahead of them.

Kate nodded, looking a bit apprehensive about the monumental task before them. "Attacking PresCorp won't be an easy task."

"That's putting it mildly, but I feel better knowing you're on side." Max smiled at her reassuringly for both their sakes.

From Kate's expression it appeared that she didn't agree. "I doubt I'll be able to contribute much."

Max waved away her self-depreciation, knowing that she would make a huge difference. "Don't be like that. You'll provide invaluable skills to the team."

The insistence on her worth to the team inspired a broad grin from Kate. "Flatterer. I suppose it will give us a good chance to catch up too. It's been ages since we had a proper chat."

"Too long. Anyway, I'll leave you to unpack and get settled for now and I'll check in on you later, okay?"

"That would be perfect, Max." Kate's eyes wandered over to the bed as she stifled a yawn. "I think I might need to take a nap from all the excitement."

"You're not the only one."

Without further hesitation, Kate pulled Max into a hug. "Don't be a stranger."

With that, Max left her to get unpacked and settled. Having someone familiar around made her feel a bit more comfortable. Not that she felt uncomfortable being here necessarily. Going to new places and meeting new people always made her feel stressed out. To be fair, Chloe and Rachel were doing everything they could to be accommodating which helped. Still, having Kate around would set her mind at ease.

Thinking of Chloe, her mind wandered back to earlier. Had Chloe just been messing around, trying to get her all flustered, or was there something more behind it? For now, the answer to that question was unclear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have an awesome day, stay safe out there and see you next time.


	9. Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that the main team has been assembled and they've had time to settle, the next step is to properly discuss the plan to take down PresCorp as a group. However, somebody appears to be missing…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. I would have had this chapter done sooner but some things came up stopping me as usual. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

**Chapter Nine: Plan**

**Three days later – Late Afternoon – District Nine – Warehouse HQ**

In the two weeks since Max had agreed to help Chloe and Rachel, they had assembled a team capable of providing a serious challenge to PresCorp's monopoly on Neo-Seattle. One that would hopefully be able to completely destroy their influence by the end of all this. There was still much to do but at least they were making good progress towards their goal. They had all been working overtime getting in touch with contacts and preparing themselves for the inevitable battle to come.

All of them, except Chloe, were now huddled around the planning zone. Somehow Victoria had found a regal chair in the warehouse. It was a bit shabby and faded but still fitted in with her superior image. Kate had set up camp in a comfy arm chair with Rachel occupying the dog-eared bean bag chair. With the others bringing their own chairs, Max had decided to move the couch over. She couldn't quite work out why the others had avoided sitting on it apart from maybe saving Chloe a seat when she got back from… wherever it was she had disappeared off to. Rachel didn't seem that worried about her sudden disappearance, so there was no point getting too worked up about it. Still, Max couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. In her experience, people disappearing was _not_ a good sign.

"Now that we're all here, mostly, I thought we'd have a little group meeting." Rachel announced as she stood up from her chair.

"That's a good idea." Kate agreed.

Rachel offered her a charming smile. "Because I came up with it."

"Don't waste my time any more than you have to." Victoria grumbled, not sounding quite as aggressive as the first time they met. Sure, she was still hostile but recently, especially since yesterday, she had seemed a little more… placated. Max didn't dare ask why for risk of her head getting bitten off. Not only that, but Rachel had been more daring in her teasing without getting completely ripped to shreds. Whatever the reason, the peace probably wouldn't last long so she should make the most of it.

"Wouldn't dream of it." The mischievous blonde replied.

Unable to keep her worried curiosity at bay any longer, Max gave way to the question she desperately wanted an answer to. "Where's Chloe?"

"Worried are you?" The smug smirk on Rachel's face made Max almost regret asking.

She rubbed the back of her neck, refusing to look into the amused hazel eyes. "Kind of…"

"Did somebody call for a dashing, charming lady-killer?" A familiar voice called from behind them. They all turned to see Chloe stood there with a wide grin on her face. Max found herself letting out a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding in.

"No, she called for you." Victoria retorted sardonically, crossing her arms and looking all the part of a Queen disgusted by a peasant talking to her.

Chloe didn't appear fazed at all by the scathing comment, more amused than anything. "Ouch, way to hurt my pride. Somebody call the burn unit."

"Well, at least one person in this room finds you charming." Rachel grinned as she looked over to Max. Instead of reacting to the obvious reference the young mercenary ignored the comment, feeling her cheeks heat up despite every effort to appear calm and collected.

"Where did you go? We were getting worried." Kate chimed in, sounding genuinely concerned. That was just her way. Considering her self-appointed herculean task to help as many of the deprived residents in District Nine as possible, it was no wonder that she had a caring side big enough to make up for all the heartless bastards in Neo-Seattle and then some.

"Aw, sweet. I'm glad to see _someone_ cares. It makes risking life and limb worthwhile knowing there's a pretty lady who cares." Although Chloe was supposedly directing this statement at Kate, she shot a glance Max's way. Partly to see how she would react but also to show some subtle interest. When Max caught her eye, she glanced away shyly. This flustered reaction was pretty cute, especially when she kept looking back every now and then to see if Chloe was still staring.

"I'd hardly say that." Kate bashfully protested, playing with the cross dangling from her neck.

Never one to miss out on a flirtatious opportunity, Rachel beamed at Kate. "I beg to differ. And I'm not the only one, right Max?"

Max was caught off guard by the question, only able to answer honestly. "Uh… y-yeah."

The question didn't sit well with Chloe, feeling a bit jealous that Max was admitting that. It was irrational, she knew that much, but she couldn't help but feel it. Rachel was constantly pushing her and Chloe couldn't tell if she was trying to be helpful or doing it just to tease her. Maybe both.

"Get a fucking room." Victoria scoffed, tired of this.

Far from having the desired reaction of getting the group to focus, it only fueled Rachel's desire to mock. "Aw, are you jealous?"

The assassin turned away, her nose in the air. "Hardly."

"Anyway, look what I got." Chloe pulled them back to the reason she had been missing by excitedly holding up a bag for them all to see before taking one of the containers out.

"Wait… did you sneak into District Three _just_ to get food?" Max asked incredulously as she looked at the container in Chloe's hand. She recognized this specific container. It was from a takeaway shop in District Three. The lower districts had very few restaurants or other food shops for obvious reasons. They didn't have enough customers and the food they served would be… below par thanks to the terrible ingredients available. Not to mention the possibility of enforcers smashing things up for the hell of it. For those reasons, the only place high-end food places survived was in the higher districts.

Chloe offered her a wink and a victorious smirk. "You know it. It's impossible to get decent grub in District Nine and if I'm going to be infiltrating other districts anyway, I may as well go somewhere with tasty food."

"She does it all the time," Rachel clarified, chuckling softly at the other's reactions to this information, varying from mildly impressed to worried to indifferent. "Sneaking into other districts has become a game for us in a sense."

"After all, we can't all sleep around to get our kicks." Chloe mentioned, taking a playful stab at her closest ally and oldest friend.

In response, Rachel just shrugged. "Variety is the spice of life."

"Speaking of spice, this food is totally worth it. Trust me," Chloe reassured to justify her daring detour. "It's the closest thing you'll get to old school Chinese takeout. You know, before everything started tasting like regurgitated wallpaper paste."

"Way to make this meeting professional." Victoria grumbled, used to much more efficient and formal proceedings.

"You don't _have_ to have any if you don't want it. I'll happily eat your share." Chloe grinned cheekily, knowing that Victoria would give in eventually. As predicted, the assassin narrowed her eyes before snatching the container. This inspired a satisfied smirk as Chloe began handing out the rest of the food. Each of them began digging into their food the moment it was passed their way.

When she came to Max, Chloe's hand brushed against the young mercenary's, lingering slightly before pulling away and taking the space next to her on the couch. They were very close now, shoulders and thighs touching. There was enough room to leave some space between them so Max had to wonder if the close proximity was on purpose.

She didn't have much time to ponder this before Rachel started their informal meeting. "I've worked together with Watchdog and the Chase network to dig up info on PresCorp. It's not been easy so far but we're getting there. Mostly we're looking for weaknesses to exploit. Obviously, we don't want to do anything _too_ bold now, as tempting as it is. We need to find out just how deep their influence runs and what we'll be up against before going in all guns blazing. The longer we can go without raising suspicion, the better."

"I'll keep feeding them reports they want to hear for as long as possible. We should be good for another couple of weeks yet." Max reassured, confident that she could keep PresCorp off their back for at least that long. She stabbed her fork into the container before shoveling it into her mouth. Surprisingly, it tasted okay. Better than some of the crap she'd eaten over the years anyway.

"Glad to see you're not so idiotic to risk all our lives unnecessarily." Victoria mumbled under her breath, picking at her food.

"I can ask my people to keep an eye out for anything," Kate added thoughtfully. "There are so many passing through the shelter that we're bound to pick up on something. Even if it's just irregular movements or behaviors. You'd be surprised what some people can hear if they're in the right place at the right time…" Her face fell suddenly, tinged with sadness. "Well, more like the wrong place and time…"

Her expression made everyone frown slightly, even Victoria. Seeing someone so optimistic as Kate like this was disheartening. She knew the human effect of PresCorp's iron fist better than any of them. Nobody said this would be easy to face.

"That'd be helpful." Rachel agreed, her expression solemn. This was the first time Max had seen her so somber.

The time for fun and games was gradually extending beyond their reach now that they were seriously discussing their plans. There was a definite shift in atmosphere. Despite Chloe and Rachel both being jokesters, when it really counted they stepped up to the mark.

Only pausing for a moment, Rachel continued to outline the plan. "PresCorp are in control because of three main reasons. Suppression, resources, and safety. They have control of a bloodthirsty group of enforcers to suppress uprisings, the money to back their actions up and people either feel too scared or don't have enough motivation to disrupt the status quo."

The group nodded in agreement, listening closely to the woman stood before them. Witty remarks and quips had no place in this moment.

"I've come up with a three-pronged attack." Rachel continued to elaborate on her proposed plan. "Step one, change the allegiances of their so-called 'allies'. This should be easy enough if we offer them something better. Gangs and criminals follow money. PresCorp has a ton of that but they don't share their wealth as a rule. Dangle the possibility for crime rings being able to escape the limitations put on them by PresCorp and they'll happily betray them. As for other allies, we may need other methods. Anybody who doesn't comply, well let's just say they _will_ regret it." Her expression darkened then, the normal sense of playfulness long since gone from her eyes.

"The Chase network is looking into their allies, alongside Watchdog. Between us, we should discover the major threats." Victoria added, her professionalism shining through.

Kate shuffled in her chair before speaking. "I'll make sure to ask around too."

"I know a few of them, thanks to my research." Max offered. She'd been looking into PresCorp anyway so she may as well put her findings to good use.

"Well, we're already part way there then." Chloe pointed out, making all of them feel more confident about this monumental task. They would welcome any progress, however small.

Rachel's expression softened as she pressed on. "Step two, attack their resources. Without the money or power to back their actions up, they are useless. So this essentially means damaging their cash flow and other assets. For example, disrupting business deals, diverting funds, destroying any further means of gaining military force and so on. By this point, they will probably realize someone is onto them. It'll be difficult to do any of this without raising suspicions."

"Does that mean blowing shit up?" Chloe asked gleefully, finally breaking the tension.

Rachel's once serious expression faded. "Trust you to jump straight to that…"

"Maybe we should hold off on that for as long as possible." Max suggested hesitantly while glancing over at the trigger happy bluenette.

"I agree. We don't want to gain attention or hurt innocent people caught in the crossfire." Kate firmly agreed, not wanting to hurt more people than necessary. There would be casualties and suffering, they all knew that. All they could do was keep damages to a minimum.

"I prefer subtlety." Victoria weighed in.

Thankfully, Rachel wasn't as eager to destroy everything as her friend. "There are many ways we can handle this stage. We'll just adapt our plans accordingly."

"Fine, but I want to blow _something_ up." Chloe insisted, her desire for chaos taking over rational thought.

"There will be plenty of opportunities for that late. PresCorp won't go down without a fight." Max pointed out.

With that in mind, Rachel moved onto her final point. "Step three, destroy their 'reputation'. Not everyone suffers from PresCorp's reign of terror. Those in the higher districts benefit and feel safe. We need to disrupt that, show them that no-one is safe. We could use the press here if they are willing. With all the censorship going on at least one company will want to strike out. This will include leaking confidential information and exposing them publically for the murderous bastards they are. Hopefully, this will give other people the confidence to rebel or at least withdraw their support." Having outlined her plan, Rachel finished up. "So, now we have an overview I think we're done here. Within the next couple of days, we'll be ready to officially start our assault. So, rest up and prepare. We have a tough fight ahead of us."

This concluded the end of the meeting. Now that it was over and most of the food had been eaten, they all went back to doing their own thing. The only people to leave straight away were Kate and Victoria. Kate had organized a video chat with Lynn since she missed her and Victoria… well, she didn't divulge her plans for the rest of the day. Rachel grinned at the fiery assassin, who merely turned her head and ignored her before storming off towards the bedrooms.

"Dare I ask what you are grinning at?" Chloe asked suspiciously, her blue eyes narrowing at the oddly happy smile.

"Nothing." Rachel responded innocently, batting her eyelids to strengthen her point.

Chloe frowned at this act, not buying it for a second. "Like I believe that. Speaking of acting weird, Victoria hasn't attacked me yet. She always manages to sneak some kind of insult in before the afternoon."

"Let's just say she has reason to be less uptight." Rachel mentioned offhandedly.

It took a minute for the implication of this statement to sink in. Chloe's expression changed from questioning to realization to mildly impressed. "Oh, my god. You guys fucked, didn't you?"

"Who knows?" Rachel shrugged but the ghost of a smirk tugging at her lips completely gave her away.

"No wonder she's mellowed out today," Chloe muttered to herself, the strange behavior making sense now. "Dude you _have_ to tell me the juicy deets."

"I don't kiss and tell…" she raised her eyebrow suggestively. "Not that kissing was really on the agenda."

"...and I'm leaving now before this gets too graphic." Max shoved her fork into the half empty container, folding up the top flaps before heading away from the conversation, muttering something about making some calibrations to her sniper.

Chloe and Rachel watched her leave, the bluenette a bit disappointed that Max had disappeared. She wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, especially in their limited down time. As much as she wanted to follow after Max, she was too curious about the whole Rachel and Victoria situation to go yet.

"You sure as hell didn't waste any time." Chloe observed.

"I never do." Rachel countered.

"Touché. So, what happens now?" The question had to be asked, even if Chloe had a feeling she already knew the answer.

Rachel packed away her now empty container, placing it at her feet before leaning back in her chair and resting her interlocked hands on her stomach. "We agreed on a no strings attached arrangement as always. That's it. No awkwardness or fuss, just taking care of a few needs as and when." She turned her hazel eyes to Chloe then. "You know, maybe you should get in on there."

"What do you mean?" Chloe frowned at the unclear implications, although she suspected something crude.

"Well, with the stress and all, maybe you should pay the Queen Bee a visit to get some honey." Rachel mentioned with a broad smirk.

Out of all the stupid things Rachel had said around her, this was by far the most frown worthy. "Did you just really say that?"

Rachel's grin only widened at her disapproval. "Damn right I did! That doesn't answer my suggestion, though."

"I…" Chloe's eyes wandered over to where Max was hard at work, tinkering around with her sniper as she had indicated. "I'm good for now."

"If you say so." Rachel shrugged, the smirk remaining on her face.

The flicker of smug understanding in her hazel eyes drove Chloe mad. "What's _that_ look supposed to mean?"

"It means that I understand your interests lie… elsewhere." Rachel cast a meaningful sideways glance over to Max, who had retreated over to the other side of the warehouse to escape the discussion about her recent dalliance with Victoria.

"I'm not even going to ask." Chloe sighed as she stood up to avoid the rest of this conversation. There wasn't really anything she could say to that. Rachel knew her too well and she damn well knew that. Sometimes, she probably knew Chloe better than she did herself. This was one of those occasions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How will our group fare as they make their moves against PresCorp? Have an amazing day, take care and see you next time.


	10. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After discussing a few leads our group decide to split up to follow up on them. However, not everything goes quite as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back to the story. I'm so glad to be back writing this again and in general. It's been too long. I hope that you have all been well the past month or so. Without further ado, let's do this.

**Chapter Ten: Taken**

**The Next Day – Early Afternoon – District Nine – Warehouse HQ**

Once again, the group had gathered to discuss their plans. They had all taken up their usual positions in the planning area. This time, they would be putting some of those words into action. Something was different now. There was an air of nervous anticipation to actually begin their attack. Here was the point of no return. From this moment on, they had to be committed. When they had all settled, Rachel kicked off the proceedings.

"First off, PresCorp's 'allies' need to be dealt with. We'll start off with the various crime rings and gangs since they will be easier to convince… or get rid of." There was an unnerving ominousness to her voice. They all hoped to avoid casualties where possible but the truth was that life rarely allowed for idealism.

"I might have some connection with certain crime rings," Victoria chimed in, breaking the dark atmosphere threatening to consume them. "Information comes from all kinds of places."

"I also know a good place to start," Rachel confirmed, the graveness of her expression shifting to something more relaxed.

Chloe rolled her eyes playfully at her old friend. "Of course you do."

"I doubt I will be overly useful in this kind of mission, so I'll stay back and keep an eye on everything," Kate announced, realizing that her skills probably wouldn't help much. Well, she hoped she wouldn't have to use them anyway. Even after all this time, seeing people get hurt and sometimes dying was hard to process.

"Good idea," Rachel agreed with the rest of the group nodding as well to show their approval. "How about this, we split up into two teams to follow up on the separate leads. I'll head one and Victoria can lead the other since these are our contacts. Max can come with me and Chloe can go with Victoria."

"What?" The disbelieving question came from both Chloe and Victoria simultaneously. They glanced at one another then back at Rachel waiting for some explanation.

As ever, Rachel was prepared for the inevitable protest with sound logic. "Think about it, we need to spread our skills evenly. We don't want two mercenary/assassin types on one team. Also, Victoria and I are probably the better hackers of the group. It's best to cover all bases. If we mess up this early, well… it won't be pretty for anyone."

There was a prolonged period of silence as both Chloe and Victoria tried to think of a valid argument to her proposal. Soon enough they realized that it would be pointless arguing, no matter how much they wanted to. They were swiftly running out of time and the sooner they could take PresCorp down, the better.

"I hate it when you use logic…" Victoria mumbled, reluctantly giving in to the plan.

"You're not the only one," Chloe huffed in rare agreement with her.

"Don't worry. I won't steal Max from you for too long," Rachel reassured, knowing exactly what the bluenette was so irritated about. It was almost cute how irritated she was getting over this. For now, Rachel wanted to make the most of the teasing opportunity. Later she may help both of them along if they were still totally clueless but she needed to give them a chance to sort things out on their own. Hopefully, her playful remarks were at least giving them something to think about.

Chloe opened her mouth to protest before clamping it shut. She didn't need to incriminate herself further. Instead, she glanced over to Max who did look a bit disappointed by the setup… or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

Taking the silence as agreement, Rachel rolled her shoulders and stood up. "If we are all ready, we can go now."

"I guess…" Chloe sighed, following her lead by getting to her feet.

A few seconds later, Victoria decided to rise from her chair. "If I'm forced to spend time with Price, I may as well get it over with."

"A sentiment I share, actually." Chloe conceded, her tone still carrying a hint of resentment over Rachel's plan.

Ignoring their not-so-subtle moaning, Rachel turned to her partner for this mission with a charming smile. "Are you ready, Max?"

Max nodded, taking one last glance over at Chloe who looked a bit disheartened at the arrangement. "As ready as I'll ever be."

This action did not go unnoticed but Rachel decided to save that as a discussion for later. Maybe for their journey. "Good. Then it's settled. Try to wrap this up as quickly as possible and keep each other up-to-date if something changes."

The four of them gathered their equipment together before heading out into the outside world. Chloe and Victoria were destined for District Six, so had to use a hidden network of passageways and shortcuts to get there. Rachel and Max, on the other hand, remained within District Nine. Their contact was much closer to home.

As they were walking down a twisted alleyway, Rachel glanced over at her companion. There was clearly something on her mind. "I know that look."

Max seemed surprised by the statement. "What look?"

" _That_ look," Rachel repeated for emphasis. "The one you've had ever since we left. Look, I know you'd have rather gone with Chloe on this."

"What? Where did that come from?" Max asked confusedly, unable to keep the flicker of guilt from her voice.

"Oh please, I'm not stupid," Rachel sounded a bit insulted by the poor attempt at deflection. "I take no offence from it at all."

"It's not just that." It was true, at least part of Max's mind was… pre-occupied with Chloe. She knew that she was probably overthinking things, but she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Chloe's teasing had been… something more. She found herself sighing, which did nothing to take the heat off her.

"So you admit that is part of it." The mischievous blonde grinned at having caught her out.

Max didn't have anything to say to this. Maybe she should have thought her words through more carefully. "I guess."

"You guess?" Rachel pushed, clearly unsatisfied with the reply.

"It's just… there's a lot of things going on and I'm feeling a bit out of my depth trying to process them all," Max admitted. A lot had changed in the past couple of weeks. She just hoped that everything would fall into place eventually. Otherwise…

Rachel picked up on her reluctance to expand and put the topic to one side. "Well, if there's anything you think I can help with just let me know. Especially related to Chloe. I know her better than she knows herself most of the time."

Thankful for the end of this discussion, Max let out a sigh of relief, "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." It was then that a question materialized in her mind. Deciding to bite the bullet, she glanced over at Rachel with hesitance. "Out of curiosity, how did you meet Chloe?"

The once playful expression shifted very slightly, flickering with melancholy. It was subtle yet noticeable if you paid attention. "That's… a long story. Basically, without her, I'd probably be dead by now and vice versa. I was on the run and she helped me remain hidden."

"On the run?" The new information wasn't all that surprising. There were so many people who were running from something nowadays.

A slight nod confirmed this. "Yes… it's nothing for you to worry about, though. It won't compromise our mission."

Max desperately wanted to ask from who and why, but she figured she probably wouldn't get an answer now. Instead, she dropped the issue for now. There was no point pushing it. Everybody had their secrets and it wasn't fair to try and force them. Maybe one day she would find out.

"What the fuck do you clowns want?" The gruff voice startled Max, making her turn sharply. A figure stepped out of the shadows, a man she recognized as Frank Bowers. There was a dog close by his side, growling menacingly at them. Unsurprisingly, drugs were a major source of escape for those struggling. The drug trade was closely monitored by PresCorp, making sure they received their cut. As long as they got their money, they didn't care what people were selling.

Rachel took a step forward, tossing her hair over her shoulder and offering up a charming smile. "Is that any way to treat a loyal customer?"

He seemed to be temporarily taken aback by her presence. "Rachel, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, actually," Rachel admitted, cutting straight to the point.

"Me? Why?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I'm on a little mission." She kept it vague for now, knowing that it would pique his curiosity. Max decided to remain silent and let her handle it, instead vigilantly scouting for trouble. Words weren't her strong point so she'd only end up ruining things. Besides, Rachel seemed to know what she was doing.

Frank frowned skeptically at that statement. "Nothing you ever do is little."

"Fair point," Rachel conceded, not missing a beat as she continued her proposition. "I think you'll be interested in what I have to say."

His expression shifted from suspicious to curious. He muttered something to the dog by his feet, which sat down and assumed a non-threatening demeanor. "I'm listening."

Now that she had his attention, Rachel began to work her magic. "How do you feel about PresCorp?"

The name made Frank scowl and his teeth grit. "Piece of shit company that makes it almost impossible to make a living. Yeah, I know them."

Rachel allowed him a moment to process the question before she continued. "There might be a way to get back at them."

A flicker of hopefulness entered his eyes then. "What's that?"

"We take them down. Permanently." She stated, giving off an unprecedented aura of self-assurance.

He didn't seem too impressed by the vagueness. "I hope you have more of a plan than that."

"Don't I always?" Rachel responded confidently. "That is what we're doing now. Without the support of crime and drug rings, PresCorp's forces will be diminished significantly. We need your help reaching out to other gangs and persuading them. One way or another."

Frank took a moment to think it all over, stroking his chin. "A lot of gangs are pissed at PresCorp. It probably wouldn't be too difficult. Might take some time, though."

A small smile tugged at Rachel's lips when he agreed. "We have other things to attend to in the meantime, so that's not a problem."

"If it was anyone else asking I'd say they were crazy to even suggest such a thing. Since it's you, I'm willing to believe it's possible," Frank sighed while petting the dog at his feet.

"It's more than possible with me around," Rachel reassured, knowing exactly what to say to ease his worries. She'd always had a knack for persuading people… or maybe manipulating was a better term. Either way, she usually got what she wanted one way or another.

He nodded in agreement. "Again, I believe it. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, Frank. I owe you." Rachel offered up a dazzling smile.

"Yeah, I've heard that phrase too many times to count." Frank managed a chuckle before he disappeared off into the darkness again.

Classing this visit as a success, the two of them began to head back to HQ. As they were weaving their way in and out of various alleyways and buildings, Rachel began a new line of conversation. "So many people have had to turn to crime to make a living. Sure, there are some out there who get a kick from the violence, but others are just trying to earn make their way in life. It's sad, really."

"I can relate." The mercenary life Max had been leading up until this point couldn't really be seen as legal. It wasn't _illegal_ per say, but the topic was avoided in polite conversation.

"Once PresCorp is down people should be able to break free of that life. As long as we get someone competent lined up to fill the void." Rachel added thoughtfully. It was all well and good taking down an established rule, but they needed something to put in place after before some other asshole stepped up.

"Another hurdle." It wouldn't be the last either. That was certain.

Rachel nodded in silent contemplation before speaking again. "We just need to find someone with a sympathetic ear, preferably from one of the higher districts people trust. That way, we won't seem like some criminal upstarts trying to seize power. Right now, people need security. PresCorp has provided that for the residents of the higher districts up until now. We'll manage somehow."

"So, how do you know Frank?" Max asked in an attempt to make small talk. It had never been her forte but she could try. She was curious about Rachel. There was just something about her that begged certain questions.

"This might surprise you but I've been a regular customer of his for a while," Rachel divulged with a flicker of humor. "He's pretty much the only dealer in Neo-Seattle who won't fuck you over. And he's helped me out a couple of times too."

"Trustworthy people are hard to come by nowadays," Max agreed. She could probably count the people she trusted with her life on one hand. Maybe both hands if things carried on as they were.

Rachel glanced over at her as they continued to walk. "That's an understatement."

"Leave me alone." The sentence cut through the conversation, stopping it dead in its tracks. Max recognized the voice immediately and froze. It belonged to Lynn, Kate's sister.

"Where'd you come from, sweetheart? Something tells me you're a long way from home." A man towered over her, a twisted grin plastered on his face. He was slender and covered in scars and bruises, some fresher than others. Part of his left ear was missing and a few of his teeth had been knocked out. The ring finger of his right hand was little more than a stump. He'd clearly seen a few fights in his life. Dark circles framed his sunken eyes, his head shaved with various tattoos visible on his skin. Some gang related.

It only took a second for Max to intervene. Unable to think properly anymore, she swiftly approached the man and growled menacingly. "Step away from her."

"Says who?" The guy sneered, his expression challenging and cocky.

Max's fists clenched, staring the man down with all the intimidation she could muster. "Says me. Unless you want to get sent back in a body bag."

He seemed to be amused by her threat more than anything, cracking his knuckles. "Oh, feisty. Just how I like 'em."

Rachel had used the distraction to rescue Lynn and bring her to a safe distance from the man. There was no need for Max to hold back. Within a few seconds, the man was on the floor coughing and wheezing as he clutched at his stomach. It was pathetic to witness him rolling around and groaning from the pain. She couldn't feel sorry for him. Not after whatever it was he tried to do to Lynn.

Instead of pulverizing him like Max wanted so desperately to do she walked over to him and crouched down, grabbing him by the collar. "What were you going to do?"

"Look, I'm just doing my job," the man defended, wincing at the pain.

Keeping up the pressure, Max's grip on him tightened. "What job?"

"I just pick people up off the streets. District Nine's teeming with strays. I dunno what happens to 'em. That's PresCorp's business. Not mine. All I do is drop them off at the location specified. It changes each time. I have a drive in my pocket of the next few drop off points," he quickly answered, obviously afraid for his life at this point. "Please don't kill me."

With one swift movement, Max lifted the tip of her right hand's middle finger and jabbed the concealed needle into the guy's neck. His body almost instantly relaxed, sending him into a deep sleep. When he woke, he would remember nothing. She would have loved to have ended this miserable excuse for a human's life then and there, but Lynn would have seen. That was something no child should witness, at that age especially. Besides, that would only raise suspicions. Whenever enforcers turned up dead or remained missing, PresCorp upped security. They sure as hell didn't need another handicap.

Just to check, she put her hand in his pockets finding a few items, including some pills and money chips. There was a memory card too, presumably containing the information he promised. She quickly downloaded the data onto a storage device before returning it back to his pocket. With him out of the way, she turned to see Lynn clutching onto Rachel as tightly as she could. She was whispering to the young girl, trying to put her at ease. Max's expression softened at the heartbreaking scene as she made her way over to them.

"Lynn, you know what both Kate and I have told you about wandering off on your own," she sighed as she crouched down beside Lynn, who almost immediately shuffled over to cling onto her.

"I'm sorry. I just… wanted to see my sister," Lynn sniffled, doing her best to hold back the tears.

"You should have rung ahead. She'd have come seen you or I could've picked you up," Max stated, realizing that it didn't do much good now. Still, she felt as if she had to say it.

"I know…" Lynn nuzzled into Max's shirt, holding on with all her might. She was shaking like a leaf.

Max re-positioned her hands so she could pick Lynn up securely. Having a robotic arm really helped with lifting and carrying. Even the strongest human arm got tired eventually. "Come on, let's get you to Kate. Then we'll take you home."

The three of them continued on their journey to HQ, being careful not to get caught. Eventually, they made it without further incident. They entered the building and made their way to the main part of the warehouse. Victoria and Chloe were back already doing their own things on opposite sides of the room. Kate was also in the room, sat on the couch. When she heard the door close, she sat up and turned to them with a welcoming smile. That smile faded when she saw Lynn in Max's arms. The young mercenary gently put her down and watched as she raced over to where Kate was now stood and clamped onto her waist.

"Lynn… what are you doing here?" Kate asked, only receiving sniffles in response. She carefully bent down and gathered Lynn up in her arms. After this, she shot Max a look saying 'What the hell happened?'. It was understandable that she was confused and alarmed. Max replied in kind, hopefully conveying that she would tell her all about it later. That was enough to pacify Kate for now, but the worry lines didn't disappear. She herded Lynn towards her room, leaving the rest of them in the main section.

"What _did_ happen?" Victoria asked as Kate disappeared.

"We had a run in with an enforcer. Well, Max did," Rachel hesitantly replied, shooting a sideways glance in Max's direction.

All eyes in the room turned to Max then, all asking the same question. Victoria was more demanding in her look whereas Chloe just looked worried. She swallowed hard before answering. "Lynn was coming to see Kate and… she nearly got caught."

"Shit…" Chloe whispered, looking horrified.

"It's not all bad news, surprisingly," swallowing the anger, Max took the storage device from her pocket and held it up for them all to see. Anything for a distraction now. "We did get some potential info on PresCorp and their shady deals."

"It's probably protected," Victoria added, staring at the device with scrutiny.

"It's a good thing I'm here then. I'll get to work decrypting this." Rachel took the device from Max, ready to start utilizing her uncanny hacking skills.

Before she could disappear off, Victoria took a step forward and blocked her path. "I'll help you."

"You might end up distracting me instead." Rachel grinned at her cheekily.

Victoria didn't budge an inch, crossing her arms with a stern expression plastered to her face. "Not until after we've finished. I'll make sure of that."

"Sounds good. Two heads are better than one and Rachel needs someone to keep her on track," Chloe mentioned with a slight smirk.

Rachel narrowed her eyes at the accusation. "Hey, like _you_ can talk."

"I've got Max to keep me focused," Chloe motioned as she threw an arm around the woman who, weeks ago, had been ordered to kill her. Max was taken aback by the unexpected, yet not unwelcome, contact.

"On what, though?" The impish blonde asked gleefully.

"Okay, that's enough from you. Get your ass out of here and get working on that info. Who knows how much time we'll have…" These last few words made the smile wane.

Rachel threw her hand up in a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."

With that, both Rachel and Victoria headed off towards the tech room to work on the new lead. Presumably, the mission Victoria and Chloe undertook went according to plan from the lack of discussion about it. No doubt they would discuss it later. For now, the important thing was exploring the newly gained information. Anything to give them an advantage, or at least to help them catch up.

Max glanced over at the bedroom corridor, wondering if Lynn was okay. Unable to sit still any longer, she stood up. "I'm just going to check on Lynn and Kate."

"Don't take too long," Chloe replied, letting her arm fall to her side again before getting comfortable on the couch.

To be honest, Max had half expected her to leave, but it seemed that Chloe would wait for her to get back. If she was honest, she could do with a chat and with Kate out of action Chloe was the next best person. She had to wonder if Chloe could sense that. "I'll try not to."

Taking a deep breath, she made her way over to Kate's room. Before she had the chance to knock on the door, it opened. Kate nearly bumped into her, managing to stop at the last second. When she had composed herself, she focused her attention on Max. "Well, that was good timing."

"How's Lynn doing?" Max asked in a low voice. Seeing Lynn like that had been hard for both of them. Especially Kate.

"She's asleep now, thankfully," Kate's expression shifted from relief to worry. "What happened to her? I've never seen her so shaken up."

Max had expected this question. She knew Kate deserved the truth, so that was what she gave. "Some PresCorp bastard tried to… take her."

There was a moment of silence as the answer sank in. The color slowly drained from Kate's face as the implications of this statement hit her. She had heard many rumors of kidnappings before. "Presumably they failed."

"Yeah, they did," Max confirmed, feeling eternally grateful for crossing paths with Lynn.

The tension in Kate's body subsided slightly as she wrapped her arms around Max. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, really. You and Lynn are like family to me and I wouldn't want anything to happen to either of you." She felt her voice break a bit at the end as she hugged Kate back. In this world, family was hard to come by. You had to hold onto whatever you had, whether by blood or by circumstance.

"We feel the same way about you, Max. So please be careful," Kate pleaded as she pulled away. She knew there was no point in asking for a promise. The thing about promises was that they could be made with the best intentions and still get broken. Max could look after herself but nobody was truly safe.

"Only because you asked nicely," Max replied with a slight smirk. Her way of dealing with bad shit was to joke about it. Usually, it worked in lightening the mood. That and she couldn't promise anything indefinitely. As much as she wanted to.

Kate actually managed a smile despite recent events. No matter what happened, Max always knew how to make her feel better. Nothing had changed there. "I'd better get back to Lynn now. I don't want her waking up alone after… everything."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll talk to you later." After saying her goodbyes, Max made her way back to the main part of the warehouse. As she re-entered the room and approached the couch, Chloe looked over at her. "How are you holding up?"

"I don't know, to be honest," Max admitted, trying to process everything that had happened as she slumped down onto the couch beside Chloe. She didn't want to believe that Lynn had nearly been… A lump formed in her throat then, eyes stinging with tears. She swallowed them back, taking a deep calming breath. It was the first time in a while that she had felt like crying. In fact, the last time she'd really cried was… when her parents died. Sure, there had been times when she'd shed a couple of tears here and there, but not recently. "If we hadn't been there to save Lynn, well…" She frowned at the alternative, trying desperately to shake it from her mind with limited success. That was _not_ something she wanted to think about. _Ever_.

Chloe didn't say anything, instead waiting to see if Max was finished. This was obviously hard to say and interrupting now wouldn't help. It was best to let her just say what she needed to say before responding.

Finally, Max sighed and finished off her trail of thought. Her voice was low and full of emotion as the words left her lips. "I just… keep thinking about all the ones I can't save."

That was a feeling Chloe also knew all too well. For a time, she'd been selfish only thinking about herself, especially after her father's death. Even her decision to start this whole rebel persona had been fueled by anger and a want for revenge. However, the more of the world she explored, the more pain and suffering she was exposed to and the harder it was to ignore it.

After reflecting for a few seconds, Chloe gently placed a hand on Max's shoulder to get her attention. "That's why we're doing this. To make things better for everyone. Well, expect those PresCorp bastards. They can rot in hell for all I care."

Max nodded at that statement, still looking pretty miserable. "Agreed."

Chloe wasn't great at expressing herself or offering words of comfort, but she wanted to try. She had noticed the wavering in Max's voice, the flicker of hopelessness that had entered her eyes. It was heartbreaking to see and she wanted nothing more than to get rid of it. "Things might seem like shit now because they are, but that doesn't mean we can't fix that. Sure, it won't be easy but that doesn't mean it isn't right. If we give up now, we're giving up on everyone. I don't know about you but I've never been much of a quitter. Pride and stubbornness have made sure of that."

There was a moment of silence as the words sank in. Slowly, Max's expression of despair changed to one of determination. Chloe was right. Sitting here feeling sorry for herself wouldn't help anyone, least of all herself. She took a deep breath and even managed a small smile. "Thanks for the pep talk."

With ease, Chloe returned her smile. "Anytime rockstar. We all need a reminder every now and then. Or all the time in some cases."

That was true, but it was much more than that. Hearing Chloe, in particular, say it made it much more meaningful for some reason. "Only from certain people."

"Certain people, huh? What kind of 'certain people'?" Chloe asked in a half-teasing tone. Part of her was actually kind of nervous to hear the answer.

"People who it actually means something coming from," Max replied, looking her directly in the eyes. While they hadn't known each other that long, Chloe felt familiar in a strange way. Maybe it was that she kind of reminded Max of Rica from Verge, but different. She couldn't quite put her finger on it and maybe she didn't have to. Everyone, including herself, was so obsessed with putting things in boxes. Knowing _exactly_ where everyone fitted in life. Maybe this time she should just go with the flow and not ask too many questions.

The comment seemed to surprise Chloe, her eyes widening a fraction. How should she even react to that? "W-well… glad to have been of service."

"What's got you shy all of a sudden?" The young mercenary questioned suspiciously, deciding it was her turn to push for once.

"When you say mushy shit like that, it catches me off guard," Chloe reluctantly confessed after a prolonged pause. Witty comebacks had failed her in this instance.

"In a good way?" Max pressed, both for curiosity's sake and to tease just a little.

"I…" Chloe stared at her with such an intensity that it made Max shiver. It was like she was looking for something in particular. What that was… Max had no clue. After a few seconds, it appeared as if she had found at least part of her answer. "Yeah, in a good way."

"I'll be sure to surprise you more often then," Max promised with a cheeky grin. Just talking to Chloe made her feel better.

"I'll hold you to that. Anyway, I have important shit to do so… I'll catch you later, yeah?" Before she could be teased further, Chloe stood up and wandered off. As she left, she glanced over her shoulder back at Max. Part of her didn't want to leave but they both had important stuff to do. Priorities and all that. The problem was, it was getting harder and harder to prioritize the 'right' things.

"You bet." Max couldn't help but smile at being the one causing havoc for once. Normally, she was the one tormented and flustered. She could easily get used to being the one on the offensive. Once in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter down and things are starting to pick up. I probably won't get another chapter out before the new year, so have a great holiday, rest up and relax. I know I will be. Thanks for reading, have an awesome day and see you next time.


	11. Sidekick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While everyone is waiting for the information on PresCorp to be decrypted, Max has some time to kill… and questions to answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to the story. Here is the next instalment for your enjoyment.

**Chapter Eleven: Sidekick**

**Late Afternoon – District Nine – Warehouse HQ - Max's Room**

While waiting for Rachel and Victoria to decrypt the data, Max had gone back to her room. There was always something to keep her busy nowadays, not all of it was strictly business related either. She sat down at the desk in front of the computer screen she'd brought from where she used to live. It would be more useful here and much too dangerous to leave behind. Now it was time to call Rica. No matter what the pair were doing, they always made time to have a quick chat. Sometimes the other Verge members joined in on the call as well. With everything going on recently, their time had been brief. In fact, they hadn't had much of a chance to discuss anything in great detail.

Within a few seconds, the screen shifted and a woman appeared. Her hair was a deep purple, short and thick. When she saw Max, she smiled broadly and her mischievous brown eyes danced with delight. "Maximo, how's it going?"

Max found herself smiling so easily despite everything that was going on now. "Not bad, thanks. How about on your end, Rica?"

"Things are hectic and it's all your fault," her eyes narrowed accusingly, although the annoyance was clearly an act. "You wouldn't believe how many loose ends there are."

"You may grumble, but I know you're pumped about coming over here," Max confidently responded. Since their ragtag band of misfits needed all the help they could get, she had decided to call on Verge for backup support. Of course, they had been all too happy to agree. As soon as they finished their immediate business, they would come.

"Maybe I am. A little bit," Rica reluctantly admitted.

"Charming," Max mentioned with a grin.

"That's me. Anyway, onto more important questions," the moment those words left her adoptive sister's lips, Max began to worry… and she had every reason to. "Is there anyone hot in your little group?"

Max rolled her eyes and sighed. Maybe she should have expected something like this. "Of course you jump straight to that…"

"Don't ignore the question, sis," Rica insisted, not give her a second to back out of this.

Instead of giving her the answer she wanted, Max decided to keep it cryptic. There were very few times where she had an advantage over Rica so she had to make the most of it. "I guess you'll see when you finally make it over here."

The lack of a definitive answer made Rica pout. "So cruel. I'm going to take your silence as a yes. Come on, who's the lucky person to have caught your eye?"

The young mercenary shook her head and drew her fingers across her lips. "These lips are sealed."

"You are no fun," an unexpected flicker of glee entered Rica's eyes then. "That _does_ confirm my suspicion, though. I'll have fun trying to guess who it is when I get there."

"Oh dog, please don't embarrass me too much," Max pleaded, knowing just how carried away she could get.

Her protests earned her a cheeky smile. "That's what family's for."

"Great…" Max sighed melodramatically.

"We haven't seen each other in person since you left. At least look a bit excited." There was something much more serious in her sister's tone now.

"I am, promise. I've really missed you guys." That was the truth. So many times Max had regretted leaving them to go off on her own mission. More than once, she'd almost returned with her tail in between her legs. She would always be a member of Verge, no matter where she went or what she did. Maybe one day she could go back with her head held high. Until then, she had to focus.

"We've missed you too," Rica mentioned with a surprising amount of emotion. Normally, her go to tone was humor. This was something much more vulnerable. "Things never felt quite the same after you left, like we're missing an arm or something."

"Shouldn't _I_ be the one saying that?" Max held up her right arm to demonstrate the point. It had been long enough now that she could joke about her missing limb.

As hoped, the hint of melancholy disappeared from Rica's voice. "Aren't you just the comedian?"

"Hey, I was proud of that one," Max defended, happy to see her smiling again.

Rica's grin widened as she began her playful teasing. "It wasn't too bad, I suppose. I've heard worse… especially from you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. All my jokes and puns are awesome," Max countered indignantly, well trying to sound annoyed anyway.

After shaking her head, Rica allowed herself a light smirk. "If you say so. Anyway, I should get back to it. The sooner we wrap this up, the sooner we can come over and save your ass."

"My hero." Max rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I should be. So, see you soon." There were indistinct voices in the background, presumably the other members of Verge getting ready to head out on a mission.

"Real soon." With that, Max disconnected the chat. As much as she would have loved talking to Rica and the others all night, they had things to do. Just like she did. She began to wonder how Rachel and Victoria were doing. It had been a couple of hours since they began working.

Curious to find out, Max stood up from her desk and left the room, making her way over to the tech area. When she opened the door, Rachel was sitting there on her own. She turned at the sound of the door opening and smiled. "Hey, Max."

Since Victoria wasn't around, Max decided to temporarily take the vacant seat beside her. "How's it going?"

She leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms above her head before answering. "Well, both Victoria and I are still in one piece, somehow. I half expected one of us to end up dead before now. Maybe both. She had an important call to take apparently, leaving me to it."

"You do seem to have an… interesting relationship," the young mercenary observed, hoping that she might get some more information if she tried again. It was worth a shot at least.

Rachel glanced over to her with a reserved smile. "You don't know the half of it. Complicated might be a better word to use."

"Sounds like there's a story behind that," Max lightly pushed, curiosity getting the better of her.

Instead of completely shutting her down, Rachel just shrugged, "There might be. I guess you'll have to tease it out of me."

Max took that as a sign that maybe one day she would find out. For now, she would just have to wait. The blonde hacker's expression changed then to something much more conflicted. She was obviously debating something. Admittedly, Max didn't know her that well but such an expression didn't seem to fit her personality. Just when it looked like she might leave whatever it was she was thinking about alone, she shook her head and a wave of hesitant determination crossed her features.

"Max, I have a question to ask you, if that's okay." The uncharacteristically reserved nature of this request was surprising. Normally, Rachel was like a bull in a China shop, doing what she pleased without regard for the consequences. That thought made it worrying.

"Sure, go ahead," Max tentatively prompted, biting her lip as she waited.

Rachel's brow furrowed slightly as her hazel eyes wandered down to Max's right arm. "What does it feel like to have a different arm? One that's not made of flesh and bone."

"I… haven't really thought about it much. Not recently anyway," Max replied honestly. It happened such a long time ago that sometimes she forgot. "Maybe at first it was strange, but after a while it just felt like my arm, mostly. I guess I've just gotten used to it."

"I'm surprised you would be so open about showing it off. Most people don't like to admit they have cybernetic enhancements." There was something off about the way Rachel was acting now. It was subtle but there was definitely something troubling her.

"I'm not most people," Max answered, watching the blonde as her troubled expression shifted to her default mischievous one. Although, it did seem a bit forced.

Within a second, Rachel managed to get herself under control again. Whatever had been bothering her had passed… or been pushed to the back of her mind. "I'll say. Anyway, I've taken up enough of your time and this data won't decrypt itself."

Max took this as her cue to leave, standing up from the chair. "Good luck and let us know when you make some headway."

"Will do," just as Max was about to leave Rachel spoke again. "Oh, before I forget. You should go check up on Chloe."

"Why?" The young mercenary asked, half-suspicious and half-curious. Rachel always seemed to be planning something.

"Think of it as a secret tip from me," she responded with a wink.

Despite the suspicious tip off, Max decided to follow up on it just to sate her curiosity. "Okay…"

Following the suggested instructions, she went to go find Chloe. She couldn't see the blue-haired rebel in the main section of the warehouse so that narrowed it down to the basement, one of the side rooms or her room. Taking a gamble, she headed on over to the bedroom corridor. When she reached Chloe's door, she found it open a fraction. Presumably, that meant she was in. Max reached out and knocked softly, receiving a confident "Door's open" in response. As she stuck her head around the door, she saw Chloe sprawled out on her bed looking extremely busy staring up at the ceiling.

Max entered the room properly, standing less than a foot away from the bed. "Hey."

"Hi, Max. What's up?" Chloe asked as she sat up and patted the space beside her.

Taking this as an invitation, Max took her up on the offer and made herself comfortable. "Nothing much. Rachel said I should come see you, not that I wouldn't anyway."

"Did she now?" The bluenette's expression became unreadable as she learned of Rachel's involvement. She often wondered whether her old friend was trying to help or just amuse herself. Probably a bit of both.

"Anything wrong?" Max asked cautiously, hoping that things were okay. If there was something troubling Chloe or anyone else, she wanted to know and help if she could. They were a team now.

Chloe shook her head, smiling involuntarily at the thought of Rachel butting in yet again. "No, she's just meddling. I suppose I can't be too mad at her, though. Besides, I'm always happy to see you."

"Me too," Max agreed, finding herself smiling too. She felt a lot calmer knowing that Chloe was actually fine.

That only made the bluenette's grin widen. "Now that you are here, do you have time to chat?"

Without really thinking, Max nodded. "Sure, I have time now."

"Awesome." Chloe grinned, a smile that made Max feel nervous for some reason. She had a similar plotting glint in her eyes she recognized from Rica… which didn't bode well.

Out of self-defense of her remaining dignity, she decided to cut in first before Chloe could ask her something embarrassing. "So, how did you and Victoria's mission go?"

As expected, Chloe looked a bit disappointed at the question but answered it anyway, "Without a hitch and we didn't kill each other, so bonus. Enough about work, though." Clearly, she wasn't going to give up on whatever it was she wanted to talk about and Max just had to accept that fact. "I'm curious about something. You have anyone special waiting for you somewhere?"

Max was momentarily taken aback by the question. "Special?"

"Special like Victoria and Rachel…" Chloe clarified, pulling a face before backtracking. "Well, maybe not _exactly_ like them but you get the idea."

"No, I don't," Max replied shyly, wondering just where this was going. She didn't want to get ahead of herself, but… Chloe did seem to light up hearing that answer. "Try not to look _too_ happy."

"Who says I'm happy about that?" she countered too quickly and defensively, realizing her mistake all too late.

Deciding to call her out, Max narrowed her eyes suspiciously and crossed her arms. "I hate to break it to you, but the way you smiled then kind of gives it away."

Instead of getting flustered, Chloe coolly shrugged it off. "I'm more surprised than anything."

"The mercenary lifestyle surprisingly doesn't leave much time for romance." It was true. To get anywhere with that kind of lifestyle, you always had to be on the ball and ready to move out. Very few people would be able to overcome an obstacle like that, having to constantly move and be separated for long periods of time. Any relationship Max had seen among mercenaries were either sporadic, like Victoria and Rachel seemed to be, or kept within groups.

There was a deliberate pause before Chloe spoke again, her gaze focused in on Max to gauge her reaction. "I think it _could_. If the right person came along."

Sure, it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility. There just hadn't been anyone Max really wanted to try and make it work with before. Maybe things had changed slightly now, though. "I guess if I tried hard enough I could make time."

"Like now, right?" Chloe was quick to add, sounding a bit more confident in herself. "I'm sure there are a million different things to grab your attention but you're here talking to me instead."

The more Max thought about it, the more she realized Chloe had a point. "I guess I am."

"Well, just to let you know I can always keep my schedule open if you want a chat or… whatever." Her voice trailed off to a mumble at the end, blue eyes drifting away.

"Thanks, the same goes for you." Max did have to wonder what she actually meant by 'whatever'. Presumably, there was something she'd gone to say but had ultimately decided against it.

She wanted to press further but was beaten to it. "Shit's only going to get crazier from here on out, so we need to enjoy the downtime where possible."

"Thanks for the reminder…" Max sighed lightly, thinking about the monumental task they had ahead of them. She wasn't afraid of a challenge, but some might consider their proposed mission borderline suicidal.

Chloe lightly nudged her shoulder to distract her. "Don't sweat it. We're a team now, so we can't fail. No way, no how."

The reassurance almost convinced Max then and there that they could do it. Still, they had to be careful. "You seem confident."

"Sure I am," her bravado faltered for just a second before she continued. "Look, I know PresCorp is some big bad scary boogeyman and it'll be tough. That doesn't mean we can't beat them."

"I'm sure that's what everybody else who's tried to face them thought," Max mentioned sadly, wondering just how many people had fallen to PresCorp over the years. Too many was the answer.

Instead of completely dismissing her point, Chloe placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and looked her straight in the eyes. "They probably did but we can't worry about them. We've got to go into this with a winner's attitude. So chillax, Super Max. We've got this."

Max couldn't help but smile at that despite her reservations. The fact that Chloe was trying to cheer her up made her feel better already. "Oh, so does that make you my sidekick then?"

A flicker of humor replaced the concern in her eyes. "I suppose it does. I don't usually take that role but I might consider it for you."

"Well, don't I feel special?" Max rolled her eyes good-naturedly, genuinely feeling a little bit special for the attention.

"You should…" a mischievous grin quirked at Chloe's lips as her knee lightly hit against Max's. "Before I get tired of being hidden under your immense heroic shadow and take my vengeance."

"I'll make sure that you feel appreciated to prevent that from happening." It was nice just to be able to mess around like this with someone again. Ever since leaving Verge, Max hadn't spoken with many people. Kate was the only person she had kept in regular contact with aside from the members of Verge, alongside a few work-related contacts.

"And just how do you propose to do that?" Chloe challenged, curious to see how Max would react. She wanted to push her, work out what the boundaries between them were and how much she could get away with.

Feeling surprisingly bold and daring, Max allowed herself a cheeky smile. "You'll find out when you do a good job."

"Aw, can't I find out now?" Chloe whined playfully, doing her best to wear Max down.

"Are you always this impatient?" she sighed melodramatically.

Chloe's smirk was unapologetic and mildly teasing. "Yep, just ask Rach. Can't I get a sneak preview or something? Just to tide me over."

In an impulsive move that surprised her just as much as Chloe, Max leaned over a placed a kiss on the blue-haired rebel's cheek. It was only brief and the lightest of contact but it had a huge effect on both women. Chloe sat there dumbfounded, witty comebacks failing her. Max was just as shocked by her actions, suddenly wondering if she'd crossed a line she wasn't supposed to.

Before either of them could say anything about the unexpected incident, there was a loud tap on the door. They turned to see Rachel leaning against the doorframe fighting to keep the smug grin off her face. "Just thought I'd let you know that we're pretty much done with the data. Maybe I should have waited until later."

"N-no, it's cool. We'll be there in a minute," Chloe replied, trying hard to keep the nervous stutter from her voice.

The grin Rachel had been fighting against moments before suddenly erupted. "A minute, huh? Okay, see you out there."

"Guess we'd better get out there," Max suggested as she left them to it, eager to pass on any discussion involving the previous situation as quickly as possible. She was too embarrassed to face it right now… as much of a coward as she felt for performing a kiss and run.

For a second, it looked like Chloe was going to say something about it. Her mouth opened a fraction before she let out a soft sigh and stood up, "Yeah before Victoria decides to get her rage on." Before she left the room, she glanced back at Max over her shoulder. She clearly wanted to talk about what had just happened but couldn't bring herself to say anything too direct. Instead of pushing, Chloe allowed a small smile to tug at her lips. "I look forward to experiencing the full package for doing a good job, by the way."

Max hung back for a moment longer, trying to calm herself down. She didn't know what to think about what she had done. Her mind was all over the place, both self-doubt and giddiness threatening to consume her. As flustered as she was feeling right now, she didn't regret it. She just wished that she had the guts to follow through. Figuring that she had left the others waiting long enough, she stood up and headed off towards the main part of the warehouse, all the while wondering what expression she should have and how she should act when she got there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> …and we'll leave it there for now. So, there's been all sorts of small progress in this chapter, huh? Have an amazing day and I'll see you around for the next chapter.


	12. Data

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armed with a potential lead, the group must decide who to send to investigate it. Not everybody will be happy with the choice, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you're all doing well today. Here's another chapter for you, so enjoy.

**Chapter Twelve: Data**

When Max entered the main part of the warehouse, she could see everyone gathered in their usual planning area. Lynn was the only one not present, presumably still in Kate's room. A pang of sympathy and anger gripped at her heart as she remembered the close call. Pushing back on her emotions, she walked towards the rest of the motley crew. She needed to focus on her mission. Rachel glanced at her knowingly as she approached. The young mercenary tried her best to ignore the smug look as she made her way across the room and sat down beside Chloe on the couch. It suddenly felt a lot smaller than before and she noticed every time their legs briefly brushed together. She tried to focus on the task at hand and not the warmth radiating from the woman sat beside her.

Now that all those concerned were here, Rachel stood before them ready to present her findings. "So, as you all probably know Victoria and I have been working on the info Max procured earlier."

The group nodded solemnly, casting sideways glances at Kate to see how she would react to the reminder. She was surprisingly calm and unperturbed, at least externally. It took a lot to break Kate Marsh as Max already knew. Thanks to her voluntary work, she had seen the human effect of PresCorp's reign of terror and had hardened because of it. All she was focused on now was taking them down as soon as possible to prevent anyone else suffering.

Rachel cleared her throat to return the attention back to their mission briefing. "Well, we've managed to track down some of the meeting places. No prizes for guessing which district we need to look in."

"Let me guess, it's the one where all the shady shit happens, right?" Chloe asked, already knowing the answer. There was only one district where human trafficking, or whatever the hell PresCorp was doing with these kidnapped people, could be overlooked so casually.

"Bingo. Right here in District Nine," Rachel confirmed with a hint of solemnness. They had all been expecting it, of course. It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

Kate nodded slowly, her expression hardening a fraction. "I suppose that makes sense."

"Of course it does," Victoria added as she crossed her arms and sat back in her chair looking all the part of the Queen she believed she was.

With this out of the way, Rachel pressed on to the important discussion. She held up the small device for them all to see. "So, the next order of business is figuring out what to do with this information. Considering our position, it's not like we can do anything too drastic. We could risk our entire plan and much worse."

Chloe frowned as she stared at the data storage device, murderous intent in her eyes. "You have no idea how tempting it is to just blow those areas up right now…"

Noticing the malice radiating from her friend, Rachel turned to her with a sympathetic look. "I agree, but it won't help us. It'll draw unwanted attention and we might hurt people we don't mean to."

"The only thing we can do is observe," Max concluded. That was their only logical option right now.

There was a soft sigh of relief from Kate's direction. "That sounds much less dangerous."

As far as Victoria was concerned, she seemed to agree with the plan. Or at least, she wasn't against it. "You'd be surprised what you can pick up from 'private' conversations between lackeys."

Now that a tactic of stealthy recon had been decided, it was time to talk details. Rachel was prepared with a potential plan, as usual. "We have possible locations for the next few days or so. There are some other potential leads we can follow up on while we're looking into it. This one does seem the most promising, though. There are two locations of particular interest. The nearest is about an hour away from here while the second is about two hours in the other direction."

"So, who's going?" Chloe asked tentatively. That question had been on all of their minds.

For some reason, Rachel seemed reluctant to answer. She took her time, twirling a strand of her long blonde hair around her finger before replying. "The fewer people, the better and I think picking the stealthier members of our group would be a wise move. One person covering each base should be enough for what we need to do. For that reason, I would suggest sending Victoria and Max. Now-"

She didn't have the chance to continue as Chloe was quick to interrupt and voice her protests. "Wait, you plan on sending them in alone? What if something goes wrong?"

Clearly, Rachel had been anticipating some resistance from Chloe given her expression of weary acceptance. "They are more than capable of defending themselves or hauling ass. Don't you guys agree?"

Instead of answering simply with yes, Victoria voted for her usual haughty response. "You should already know my extensive skills."

That got the impish blonde grinning. "Oh, I do. Very well."

Although it seemed redundant now, Max weighed in with her opinion. "I've been involved in tougher and more dangerous missions before."

Unfortunately for the group, Chloe wasn't prepared to let her objection go. "We don't even know how many people will be out there. Maybe you guys can deal with ten enforcers on your own if things go wrong, maybe fifteen at a push, but what if there are way more than that? None of us are superheroes."

There was a slight pause as Rachel gathered her thoughts, trying to make Chloe understand that this was the only viable option, "I would love to give them unlimited backup, but our hands are tied." Before Chloe could interrupt again, Rachel beat her to it. "And if you had the idea of going along too then you can forget it. I need you here to look into something else. Something important."

That wasn't enough to satisfy the blue-haired rebel. "Screw that! You can't just send Max and Victoria out there when we don't even know what we're up against."

Fortunately for Rachel, Victoria came in to act as her backup. "It's not like we'll be totally alone or be completely blind. The Chase Network will be on call and monitoring both our movements. Same with Watchdog. If we get stuck, they'll provide back up. Do you really think I would go on a suicide mission? I sent word ahead and they're already looking into the sites in question. We'll find out what we're up against and when to move in no time."

Rachel offered her an appreciative smile before turning back to Chloe. "See, nothing to worry about. They're in good hands."

Instead of helping the situation, this new information only seemed to make her more distrustful of the plan. "If we can trust our backup."

"And what's that supposed to mean exactly?" Victoria snapped as she glared at the infamous Punk Pirate with disdain.

Chloe stood her ground, not showing even a hint of weakness. "All I'm saying is that we're putting a lot of stock in groups we don't know much about. Groups who have done a lot of questionable things for money."

That accusation was too much for Victoria. She stood up and paced over to the couch with a vengeance. "Fuck you, Price. Don't you dare give me any of that bullshit. You know what we've all been through because of those bastards at PresCorp… what we've all had to lose. Do you _really_ think we'd sell ourselves out?"

Almost instantly Chloe jumped up from the couch and matched her aggressive behavior, getting right up in her face. "I don't know, would you?"

Before things could get more out of hand than they already were, Rachel got in the middle and pushed them away from one another. "That's _**enough**_. From both of you."

There was a brief second where Victoria seemed shocked at the sudden separation. It didn't last long. "Um… excuse you. This conversation doesn't even concern you, so keep out of it."

"Oh, I think it does concern me and you know it does. It concerns _all_ of us," Rachel turned to Chloe, looking stern and completely done with all this. "Chloe, I know you are worried but that _does not_ mean that you can take your frustration out on other people. Especially people helping us." She seamlessly swiveled around to stare Victoria down, not even pausing for a second. "And Victoria, you can't keep acting like a spoiled brat, kicking off when someone challenges you. We all have to stick together and unite against our common enemy. If we don't… we won't even make it another day. We all know what's at stake here, so get your head in the game and put aside petty squabbles. Stupid distractions can and _will_ get you killed."

The atmosphere was so tense you could cut it with a knife. For a moment, both Max and Kate worried that there would be blood. They exchanged tentative glances, just waiting to see who would strike first in this standoff.

"Whatever," Victoria suddenly huffed as she stormed off towards her room. When she had gone, Chloe began muttering to herself and headed off outside.

After a few awkward moments of silence, Kate finally spoke up. "It's a bit… tense."

Rachel turned to her with a sad smile. "Now that's an understatement if I ever heard one."

"Are they like this all the time?" She asked sympathetically.

The concern was enough to get Rachel to relax a bit. Not much, but anything was better than nothing. "When they see each other, yes. This is the longest they have spent around one another in years. I don't know, it's like they know exactly which buttons to press to piss each other off. Even I can't get Victoria as angry as Chloe does. I would call it a special skill, but…"

Such explosive hostility like that didn't just come from nowhere. There had to be a reason and Max began to wonder if that reason had something to do with Rachel. "Did something happen between them?"

As with every other time she had tried to push for information, Rachel kept her answer cryptic. "You could say that, I guess. Well, not really between them as such. It's… complicated for a lot of reasons, like everything nowadays. I know you all must be bored of hearing that line but… that's the only answer I can give right now."

"It's okay, we understand," Kate reassured, just thankful that the room had cleared of anger. She didn't like confrontation, even if she wasn't directly involved.

For a brief second, it seemed like Rachel was going to tell them something but quickly decided against it. "Now, I should probably go and clean up this mess by checking in on Victoria and Chloe. I need them focused for later. You guys should get ready too, especially you, Max."

With that, she left the room to go and find Victoria leaving Max and Kate alone in the warehouse. When she had left, Kate turned to the young mercenary. "You sure know how to pick them, Max."

Max rubbed the back of her neck with her hand, hoping that Rachel would be able to sort them out. "Yeah, tell me about it…"

Despite her initial comment, Kate didn't hold it against them. Everybody had their quarrels and they only escalated in situations like this. "At least they seem like nice people so far, if a little stressed out."

Max had seen this kind of in-fighting among groups before, even among Verge's members. Although, Ash was scarily good at stopping fights. That was why she was the leader. Well, one of the reasons. "We've only just started this and we're already falling apart."

"From what Rachel told us, this is an ongoing thing. She seemed fairly confident that she could sort things out," Kate mentioned, hoping that her trust had been well placed in Rachel's negotiating abilities.

"When doesn't she seem confident?" Max pointed out smugly.

There wasn't really anything Kate could refute in that statement. "Fair point."

There wasn't much they could do beyond talking about the tense situation more, so Max decided to change the topic. "Enough about that for now. How's Lynn doing?"

"Better, thanks for asking," something shifted in her eyes then as if she had just remembered something important. "Which reminds me, she asked for you. I was going to come find you, but then Rachel came and gathered us all together."

Max had wanted to talk to Lynn anyway, both to check she was doing okay and to make sure she understood what she had done was very dangerous. "I guess I'd better go to her, then."

Kate nodded in agreement and glanced back over to the door leading through to the bedrooms. "Good idea. It appears that Chloe and Victoria need some time to wind down anyway. Come and find me when you're done with Lynn. I'll be in the medical bay area. I feel more at home there, to be honest."

"I bet. See you soon." With this new plan in mind, she made her way over to Kate's room. She knocked on the door to let Lynn know she was coming in before stepping inside. Lynn was sat on the bed reading a dog-eared comic that Max had sworn she'd seen in Chloe's room before.

At the sound of the door opening, Lynn looked up from the comic in her lap. "Max…"

"Hey, Lynn," Max gently greeted as she strode across the room and sat down beside the young girl.

There was a brief silence as Lynn put the comic to one side and re-positioned herself on the bed. "Thank you for saving me."

Noticing the slight quiver in her voice, Max shuffled closer to her and placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Don't sweat it, okay? Just… promise me that you won't do something like that again."

"I won't, ever. That was… really scary. I knew it was dangerous outside but…" she hesitated, unable to continue what she was saying. Instead, she changed the subject slightly. "What happened to that guy? Did you…?"

Max realized where she was going and swiftly reassured her. "He was just sleeping, Lynn. When he wakes up, he won't remember anything."

"Oh… good. I'm glad you didn't kill him. He must have had his reasons for…" Lynn's voice trailed off into silence as she remembered the moment she had almost been kidnapped. She wanted to see the best in people, just like Kate, but… it was hard to find a reason sometimes.

Max noticed the hesitation and placed a gentle hand on Lynn's shoulder, "Sometimes, people don't have much of a choice. They do what they have to do to survive. It might not always be the morally correct thing to do, but it's all they know how to do." That statement could describe her as much as it could that PresCorp enforcer or anybody else struggling to survive.

Lynn's eyes flickered with sadness as she listened. "That's… so sad."

"Yeah, it is," the young mercenary agreed, feeling the burden of her own death tolls weighing down on her. She'd killed so many people already. Just how many more lives would it take?

Silence filled the room as they sat there, contemplating what had happened and what was to come. Max felt a light tug on her arm and looked over to see Lynn with renewed determination in her eyes. "Max, can I ask you something?"

Shaking any self-doubt from her mind, Max nodded. "Sure you can."

Clearly, whatever it was that Lynn wanted to talk about was difficult for her. She looked a little nervous actually. "Can you… teach me how to defend myself?"

The question caught Max completely off guard. "Uh… y-yeah, if you want."

She didn't even have to push for an explanation. Lynn seemed prepared to give one without prompting. "I don't want to be helpless anymore. Even if I don't go running off on my own, I might get in trouble. Or maybe my sister will. We can't keep relying on you to help us. That's not fair."

While Lynn's determination was admirable, Max wanted her to realize that she could rely on her and that she should. "I will always be there to help you for as long as I possibly can."

"But that might not be forever, right?" Lynn asked, looking sad as she said it.

There was nothing Max could say to that. She didn't want to start making promises she couldn't keep or hide the truth. "Right. I might be away or… something."

"Kate tells me to rely on people I trust, but to also have a backup plan. Just in case," the young girl revealed.

As expected, Kate was totally on top of everything. "She's always been smart. People don't give her enough credit."

Lynn nodded slowly. "That's how she's kept us safe for so long, I think. Everybody underestimates her."

Just like Kate, she was very perceptive. Max was glad that this trait had passed onto her as well. "I think you're right."

After a few seconds Lynn looked up at her, a question clear in her eyes. "You're going out again, aren't you? Everybody was shouting about it."

There was little point in lying to her. Max wouldn't be surprised if everybody in a three-mile radius knew Chloe and Victoria had been fighting. "Yeah, I am. We found something important on that guy who tried to take you."

"So, I helped?" Lynn sounded hopeful that her mistake had actually yielded something useful. It was kind of cute to see her perk up.

"You did," Max agreed. She didn't want to encourage recklessness but she didn't want to deny when it turned out to be useful. Anything to get Lynn smiling again. "See, even if you're not strong or have a ton of weapons, you can help. Look, I have to get going now, but when I get back from my mission I can teach you some basic defense moves, okay?"

Looking considerably happier, Lynn let Max slide off the bed. "Yeah, that'd be great. Thank you."

Max offered her a warm smile before leaving her again. Now it was time to head on back to Kate. The medical bay was on the main floor near the back. It was much less crowded than the one back at Kate's shelter and much better stocked. There were all kinds of interesting bottles and pills sitting on the shelves. Max wouldn't even know where to begin. Kate was over by one of the cupboards, sorting out its contents. She always had been conscious of order.

Figuring that it would be weird to just stand there and watch her, Max cleared her throat. "Hey, Kate."

After placing something back in the cupboard, Kate stood up and walked over to her. "Max, perfect timing."

That answer made her feel a bit nervous for some reason. Maybe it was the way Kate had said it like she had finally cornered her prey. "Oh, and why's that?"

"I happen to know that a certain someone is due a potentially life-saving shot," she replied, clearly expecting some kind of resistance.

"Who's that?" Max asked, feigning ignorance.

Kate placed a hand on her hip, putting on her sternest expression. "You, of course. I know that's why you were avoiding the clinic like the plague until now."

All Max could offer in response was a sheepish grin. "Maybe…"

Realizing that she had won this battle, Kate motioned towards one of the beds in the room. "Well, whatever excuse you want to use it doesn't matter now. I can't let you go out on dangerous missions without it. There's no escape."

"Why does that sound so ominous?" Max mumbled as she sat down on the bed Kate had pointed to. She'd always been freaked out by needles but had never had a bad experience with them personally. Hopefully, she never would.

As Kate gathered together everything she needed from one of the cupboards, she glanced over her shoulder. "So, what did Lynn have to say?"

There was no point in lying to Kate about this, so Max told her the truth. "She wants me to teach her some self-defense."

"Really? That might be a good thing, actually. As much as I hate her having to learn, she has to eventually," it sounded as if Kate was trying to justify it to herself as she made her way back over to Max. "It's a dangerous world out there for anyone, let alone a young child. I think you would do a better job of teaching her that kind of thing than me."

"Oh, I don't know, I'm sure you have a solid right hook or two in you," Max joked as she eyed up the syringe sheepishly, watching the liquid being drawn up.

"Now you're just being silly." Kate chuckled softly as she carefully yet swiftly pushed the needle into Max's arm. The whole process only took a couple of seconds. "Not that I don't appreciate the vote of confidence."

"If the situation called for it, I bet you could kick ass," the young mercenary mentioned half-jokingly. She suspected that if Lynn was in danger, Kate would do anything to get her out of it. It was always the quiet ones you had to look out for.

"Hopefully, we'll never have to find out," she replied softly as she finished up. "I'm better at fixing people than breaking them."

"I wish I could say that…" Max sighed lightly as she stood up and rolled her shoulders.

"Sometimes, fixing requires some breaking first," Kate sounded a bit sad as she said that, a slight frown forming on her brow. "You just have to hope that the fixing justifies the breaking."

Before Max could respond, Rachel stuck her head around the door. "Ah, here you are. Victoria is ready when you are to head out. The sooner, the better."

"Be there in a minute," once she had disappeared back out of the room, Max turned back to Kate. "I guess I'd better get going."

A flicker of humor entered Kate's eyes then. "Try not to get too beat up out there. I've quite enjoyed not having much to do. It's almost like a holiday for me."

Max couldn't help but smile, even though she knew Kate was only half joking. "What and risk you getting bored?"

"I have enough to keep me busy without patching you up. Trust me," her expression softened slightly. "So, don't make more work for me. Got it?"

"Duly noted." Not wanting to keep Victoria waiting for too long, especially considering the foul mood she could be in, Max left the medical bay and headed back towards the main part of the warehouse. She had a mission to do and nothing would get in her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll cut it off there for now since the chapter is getting a bit long. Tune in next time to see what their investigation uncovers.


	13. Stakeout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come for the group's first major step in their mission and everybody will have their own part to play… whether they planned to or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, how's it going? I have a new chapter for you today and I hope that you enjoy it.

**Chapter Thirteen: Stakeout**

**Early Evening**

When Max entered the main part of the warehouse, she could see both Victoria and Rachel by the couch. Pushing any remaining doubt or anxiety to the back of her mind, she strode over to them. "I just need to go get changed quickly and grab my sniper rifle, just in case."

Victoria sighed deeply at the unpreparedness of her traveling companion. "Hurry up, then."

As quickly as she could, Max went to her room and grabbed any supplies she deemed necessary. Reaper, her sniper rifle, was the most important thing. If everything went to shit, she would need some firepower. Other items she gathered together included extra bullets, medical supplies, and her trusty knife. It was always best to have a backup plan. She also changed into more durable, dark clothing to blend in and protect herself. With the essentials packed up, she came out into the corridor. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a distinctive flash of blue. Chloe was leaning against the wall opposite her door, arms crossed with a troubled expression. The young mercenary stopped in her tracks before she could walk past the bluenette. Maybe she could say something to put her mind at ease.

"So, you're heading on out now," Chloe stated, clearly still against the idea by her reluctant tone. There was nothing she could do or say to stop this, however. She just had to accept and deal with it. "Just… be careful out there, okay?"

"I will, so you don't have to worry about me," Max reassured as soothingly as she could. Sure, this could be dangerous but so was everything these days.

"Maybe I can't help it," Chloe mumbled just loud enough as her fingers lightly brushed against Max's, taking hold of them with gentle hesitance. That response stunned the young mercenary momentarily, especially because of the accompanying look she received. A mixture of concern, uncertainty and… something else that she couldn't quite work out.

Before she could reply a heavy sigh caught her attention. Bored of waiting, Victoria had come to investigate what was taking Max so long. "Come on already. We'll miss our window if you don't get a move on."

With the moment gone, Max reluctantly retracted her hand, took a step back and mentally prepared herself to leave. "Guess I'd better go then. See you soon."

The blue-haired rebel's once relaxed hand turned into a fist as she nodded stiffly. "I'd better."

Now ready to set out, Max and Victoria exited the warehouse and began to move towards their respective stakeout points. Chloe watched them leave, feeling an overwhelming sense of unease. She knew this was necessary, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Are you pissed at me?" Rachel asked as she approached from behind, curious to see the answer her friend would give.

There was a brief pause before the bluenette responded, giving the question some serious thought. "Not you, really. It's just this whole situation I'm angry at. I don't like putting people at risk."

"Especially when one of those people is Max?" Rachel pressed, deciding to push her friend a little.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Chloe sighed, hoping for one day without this level of interrogation.

The impish blonde shook her head, picking up on the unwillingness to answer her question. "Nope, and that didn't answer my question. I hardly think that you'd be reacting so badly if it was just Victoria going."

"I might, you don't know that," Chloe protested instinctively as a defensive mechanism. It was pointless to try and refute this point, but she couldn't help it.

From Rachel's expression, she obviously didn't believe that for a second. "Really? If you think I'll buy that then I'm frankly insulted. Listen, I don't think you need to worry. Max has managed to get this far on her own."

That reassurance didn't make her feel any better about the situation. "It only takes one time and the probability of something going wrong only increases."

"As much as you might not trust Victoria, you know she hates PresCorp more than anything," Rachel pointed out, trying to convince her friend. They all needed to work together and not be down each other's throat all the time. "If nothing else, we have a common enemy. She'd never side with them."

Silence fell as Chloe considered this point. She already knew it but hadn't been very good at showing it so far. "Yeah, I know. I just… lost my temper and I knew Victoria would react to me prodding her."

Rachel had expected an answer like that. Chloe had always had an explosive temper, especially around people she considered a threat in any way, major or minor. "Well, I'd say you got that right. You know, maybe you two are more similar than you realize or want to admit."

Chloe narrowed her eyes, her brow furrowing indignantly. "You did not just say that."

"I didn't mean it as a criticism, entirely," Rachel began to explain, not wanting to get hit. "Look, I don't expect you to suddenly start trusting each other after years of hostility. All I ask is that you just try not to antagonize her too much. Petty squabbles won't help anyone."

As much as Chloe wanted to protest, her oldest friend had an irrefutable point. "Old habits die hard, but I'll try. For the sake of this mission, if nothing else."

"See, was it really that hard?" Rachel teased lightly, a smug grin tugging at her lips.

"You wouldn't even believe," with the tension from earlier mostly resolved, Chloe turned her attention to more pressing matters. "So, what's this secret mission you need help with?"

Rachel offered her a coy smile, indicating that she had some juicy details to reveal. "I never said it was secret, just important."

"But it is, right?"

Her smile faded, soon replace with mild hesitancy. "Not secret, per say. I want to get the facts straight before getting everybody worked up about it. That and it would require a lot of explaining. If it's not relevant, I don't want to waste time. Not only that but I trust you. It's not that I don't trust Max, Victoria or Kate… but if I had to pick, you'd win every time."

"I don't know whether to feel flattered or burdened by that trust," Chloe muttered loud enough for the other woman in the room to hear.

"Flattered is the right reaction, of course," the impish blonde clarified, her usual liveliness returning. "Anyway, let's get to work so we've done something by the time the others get back."

* * *

**District Nine – Abandoned Warehouse Rooftop**

Once in position, Max hunkered down and waited. Soon after she had arrived, the place began to fill out with vehicles and people. Nothing good could come from such a large congregation in District Nine.

"Are you there yet?" the question filtered through the earpiece Max had brought along to keep in touch with Victoria.

"Yes, ready and waiting," she confirmed quietly, her eyes never leaving the scene below. Neither of them could afford to lose focus. They needed to have an eye on the situation at all times or risk getting caught.

"I'm glad to see that you are competent at least," Victoria replied just as softly, careful not to give herself away. "Look for anything suspicious."

Max set her cybernetically enhanced eye to record, filming the whole event and taking multiple pictures to document what she saw. There was plenty going on to capture, none of it good. She would love to just go there and start beating the shit out of the enforcers, but she had to be careful. Stupid acts of heroics would get her killed and compromise their mission. This method would save more people in the long term. Still, it was difficult knowing that she couldn't do anything now. There were a few enforcers patrolling, all visibly armed. From this position, Max could count around five. Two, in particular, caught her interest as they appeared to be having a conversation of some sort. She had to get closer somehow, close enough to hear what they were saying.

Checking the area below her thoroughly, she dropped down onto the highest level of the metal framework surrounding the building. At some point, there had been attempts to reconstruct District Nine but that project had been abandoned years ago. The remnants of the work still lingered, with nobody willing to either continue or dismantle everything. Using all the stealth techniques she'd picked up over the years and her new knowledge of the guards' patrol routes, she moved into a blind spot closer to the ground. From here, she could see and hear most things while remaining invisible herself.

"…all of them for tonight?" Max recognized the man who spoke as the one who'd tried to take Lynn. As tempting as it was to beat the shit out of him again, she had to keep to the plan.

A woman stood in front of him with her back to Max, very obviously of a higher rank in the chain of command than him. Max could tell from the way she presented herself and spoke, imposing and condescending. "Not an impressive haul but good enough, I suppose."

"What the hell do they even need all these people for?" he asked in a gruff, impatient tone.

Instead of answering him, the woman grabbed him by his collar and growled. "Your job isn't to question. So, shut the fuck up before I knock some teeth out."

"I'm just throwing out suggestions. No need to be a dick about it," he grumbled angrily as she pushed him back, clearly not appreciating the patronizing tone.

"Maybe if you had half a working brain cell in that empty head of yours, I wouldn't have to," the woman retorted, a slither of venom punctuating every word. She wiped her hands on her pants like she'd touched something filthy and disease ridden.

"I don't need brains when I've got this," the man roared, pulling out a switchblade from his pocket. The blade was already coated with a thin layer of blood from his previous victim. He lunged at the woman, murderous intent in his eyes. She side stepped him, watching as he stumbled and nearly tripped over his own feet. Before he had the chance to regain his balance, she smacked him across the face and pinned him to the ground front first.

After jamming his arm behind his back and applying pressure, she leaned down and whispered in his ear so quietly that Max almost didn't pick up on it, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. People who attack me have a tendency to lose things… namely, their lives and fingers." Before she let him go, there was a loud bone-crunching crack and a pained yelp. The man's arm was twisted at a strange and unnatural angle, clearly broken. Showing no emotion, the woman motioned for someone to take him away as he howled in pain, blood dripping from his split lip. Her eyes wandered over to the rest of the enforcers, giving them a cold, threatening glare. "I trust that there will be no more inane questions or inappropriate behavior from the rest of you."

The remaining enforcers watched as the wounded man was carried away, all obviously worried they too would end up like him. To prevent a similar fate, they all answered in unison. "Yes, ma'am."

As if a switch had been flipped, the woman's expression changed to a bright, yet clearly fake, smile. "I am glad to hear that. We don't need any more accidents. One is enough… for today."

Now that Max had a clear view of the woman's scarred face, she realized that she knew her. She belonged to a rival mercenary group, a group who had royally fucked Verge over. Her metallic hand clenched into a fist as she resisted the urge to just take her out here and now. Instead of acting on her impulses, Max remained hidden. Now was not the time for revenge. The remaining enforcers continued their work with the woman overseeing them.

This new information only complicated matters.

* * *

**District Nine - Kate's Clinic**

While the others were busy with their separate missions, Kate had decided to visit her clinic with Lynn. She couldn't just sit around and do nothing with everybody else so busy. When she reached the familiar building, a sudden sense of unease passed over her. It was too quiet. Keen to prove herself wrong, she quickly approached the door and entered inside. There was a very dark atmosphere in the room, everybody huddled close together and whispering amongst themselves.

Before Kate had the chance to ask what was wrong, a tall woman with brown hair and dark eyes rushed out to meet her. There was a hint of desperation in her eyes and specks of blood covered her skin and clothing. "Kate, oh thank god you're here. I was just about to call you."

"Simone, what's wrong?" Kate asked, alarmed at the sight of her fellow volunteer doctor. She was usually so calm, even under pressure. Something terrible must have happened for her to be this erratic.

It took a moment for her to calm down enough to be able to speak. When she did, her voice was low and strained. "One of the patients. They were a PresCorp synth, I think, and… fuck, they hurt someone really bad. We managed to take the attacker out before they hurt anyone else, but… it doesn't look good."

"Show me," Kate instructed, letting her professional medical side take over. "Lynn, wait here. I'll be back soon."

Lynn did as she was told without question and Simone nodded solemnly as she led Kate to one of the back rooms, primarily reserved for severe cases. She wasn't over-exaggerating the extent of the damage. The patient was mostly patched up, but there were still some exposed injuries waiting to be dressed. Skin and flesh had been slashed, leaving gaping wounds. A bandage covered the patient's right eye and various bruises, marks, and lighter scratches were visible. It was a sorry sight to behold. With Simone's help, Kate finished off fixing the patient up and re-sterilized the area.

"That's all we can do for now," Simone softly acknowledged as she took off her now bloody overcoat and gloves. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on the patient. The others need to hear one of your motivational speeches, I think."

Kate nodded with that conclusion, hoping that she would be able to ease some fears. After cleaning herself up, she headed back into the main part of the clinic. Whispered, panicked mutters filled the room. Everybody was understandably on edge, waiting for some kind of reassurance or explanation. "Can I have your attention, please? I'm sure you are all aware of the incident that happened today. Firstly, I would like to apologize to each and every one of you for having to witness something like that. One thing I do want to reinforce, however, is that we can't let this destroy our hope."

"But we aren't safe anywhere," a desperate voice rang out into the silence. Secretly, that was what everybody in the room was thinking even if they didn't say it aloud. Fear, especially a well-established one, was a powerful suppressant and PresCorp knew that. Any small beacon of hope could jeopardize their vice-like hold.

"Not now, no, but there are people working out there to help us. All of us. We have to believe in those people and do what we can to aid them. If we let fear control us, we've already lost. We can and will fight for ourselves, our friends and family. And we _will_ win." The last few words of Kate's mini-speech echoed off the walls. She had done all she could to encourage them for now and it seemed to have worked, at least partially. However, Kate knew as well as anybody that there was a limit to how far word could help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How will our group react to their findings and use it to further their mission? Stick around to find out.


	14. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After recent events, there is much to discuss for the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. Today seems to be a Pricefield update spree for me so here's another chapter for your enjoyment.

**Chapter Fourteen: Discovery**

**Late Evening – District Nine – Warehouse HQ**

Not much else happened at Max's stakeout spot. Vehicles came and went, guards patrolled and darkness slowly descended on the area. When the last remnants of activity ceased, she got in touch with Victoria to see how she was doing. They both agreed that they had seen all there was to see for now and rendezvoused at their pre-agreed on meeting point. Saving their findings for the inevitable group meeting, they headed back to the HQ, skillfully evading detection. Between them, they had an extensive knowledge of District Nine's layout and so were able to move unnoticed.

When they returned, Rachel glanced up from the tablet-like device she was making notes on. "Welcome back. Glad to see you're still in one piece."

Max looked around the room and noticed Kate was also nearby minus Lynn, who must be back in her room. There was only one person unaccounted for who needed to be involved in the discussions. "Where's Chloe?"

"Sulking in her room most likely," Rachel replied casually. She had finished her particular line of research for the day with Chloe's help. Depending on what Max and Victoria had managed to discover, if anything, then she may need to relay the information they had gathered. There were still a few things she wanted to check out ideally before telling them, though.

Blue eyes wandered over to the bedroom hallway. Considering how Chloe had reacted earlier, she should make an effort to go see her. That and Max _wanted_ to see her. "Shall I go and get her? I need to drop my gear off anyway."

A smug, knowing grin formed on Rachel's lips. "I'm sure she'd appreciate that."

Without any further delay, Max turned away from the rest of the group and headed towards her room. After dropping Reaper and the rest of her supplies off, she went back out into the hallway. Her eyes focused on Chloe's door as her feet carried her closer. Hesitantly, she reached out to knock on it. Footsteps approached the door and it opened, revealing Chloe. When she saw Max, her lip quirked upwards into a relieved smile.

"You're back." She stepped aside to let her in. A wave of relief washed over her knowing that Max was back and seemingly unhurt.

Max obliged, entering the room. "Told you I'd see you soon."

"Yeah, you did." Without warning, Chloe pulled her into a hug. For a moment, the young mercenary didn't know what to do with her arms. Finally, she wrapped them around the woman hugging her. It felt… good and she found herself tightening her hold. Although she tried to act like going on these missions was a piece of cake, she was always nervous about them. Chloe's voice was little more than a whisper as she muttered the next few words. "Not many people can keep that promise."

Max gently broke the hug, looking at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Chloe looked down at her feet, scuffing them across the floor. "My dad, for one. Sure, it wasn't his fault, but… he said he'd come back. He never did. At least you did."

"I did and I always will try to. No matter what. Somehow, I'll find a way." That was as close to a promise as Max would allow herself. There were too many variables to consider to provide anything more.

Blue eyes met, both wanting to convince and be convinced. "I really want to believe that, Max."

Tentatively, Max reached out to take her hand. "Then believe it. Simple as."

Chloe's fingers tightened, wrapping around Max's hand. "Maybe I will. Something tells me that you won't go down easily."

"Damn right I won't. And neither will you or anyone else," Max reassured, knowing that they would all fight to the bitter end. Hopefully, their hard work would pay off in the end. It _had_ to.

"They'll have to literally chain me down to stop me…" there was a slight pause before she continued, a glint of humor in her blue eyes. "…something I'm sure Rachel would be making a crude joke about right now if she was here."

There was no way that Rachel would miss such a golden opportunity, even Max knew that. "No doubt about it. Speaking of, she and the others are waiting for us. They want to discuss everybody's findings."

Chloe seemed a bit disappointed at the abrupt change of topic but this was only fleeting. "Right, yeah. Guess we shouldn't keep them too long."

Reluctantly, the pair of them walked back to the main part of the warehouse. Everyone was waiting for them all expect Lynn, of course. They took their usual position on the couch, ready to report back and hear how everyone got on with their individual tasks.

Rachel seemed to be amused by their late appearance. "I'm glad you two have finally decided to join us. Let's start this off, shall we?"

Victoria was the first to offer up her findings. "My trip wasn't so insightful beyond what we already know. I did manage to get things in place for the Chase Network and Watchdog to monitor the movement of the particular vehicles present at the scene. Also, they're working on identifying certain individuals. We can keep tabs on people that way."

"That's a good start. The more extensive our knowledge of our enemy, the better," Rachel added thoughtfully, visibly making a mental note of their new avenue of information.

Figuring that it was her turn to chime in, Max began to relay the information she had come across. "My investigation didn't bring good news, I'm afraid. PresCorp have a pretty ruthless mercenary group working for them. They go by the name 'Vortex'. Bonus, Vortex _really_ hates Verge and vice versa."

This made Chloe sigh deeply and cross her arms as she leaned back on the couch. "Great, more people who hate us… as if we didn't have enough."

Rachel shrugged, clearly not as annoyed at the info as her friend. "At least we know what we're up against. I imagine this group will pose a significant threat to our operations. Better to know and be prepared."

Almost as soon as she had finished that point, Victoria interjected. "I can look into Vortex and their movements by pooling the Chase Network and Watchdog's resources. That might give us an idea of what PresCorp are planning. Or at least, warn us of suspicious activity."

"I'm sure it won't take long for something bad to happen," Chloe muttered to herself, irritated at the increased risk… and how close Max had come to potentially running into someone with a personal vendetta against her.

Kate, who had been extremely quiet the entire time, finally spoke up. "It may already have. I realize that this may be inconsequential, but I went back to my clinic while you guys were out and… there was a synth attack."

"That's… problematic." Rachel looked particularly disturbed by this new intel. She obviously didn't consider this incident trivial. In fact, it only gave credence to her suspicions.

"With help, I brought the body of the attacker here for us to… examine," Kate continued, her expression becoming momentarily darker as she said that. "It could help. We stored it in the medical bay on one of the beds."

"It's worth a shot," Chloe agreed, worriedly eyeing Rachel up. Her friend was understandably troubled by this. There was silence as everyone took in what Kate had said.

After a few moments of silent contemplation, Kate turned to Victoria with a hesitant expression. "Victoria, I have a favor to ask."

"From me?" The request surprised Victoria so much that she didn't have the mind to even hide her shock.

Kate nodded slowly. "Yes, I need the help of your network to protect my clinic. I realize this may be a trivial concern in the grand scheme of things, but I can't bear anyone else getting hurt. People need a sanctuary to keep hope alive. Maybe we can provide that place for them."

Victoria seemed to be thinking the request over carefully. Eventually, she came to a decision. "I'll see what I can do."

The concern in Kate's expression was replaced with relief. "Thank you."

"I'll get working on this synth examination," Rachel announced now that this had been sorted. She seemed to be exceptionally skilled when it came to technology, so it made sense for her to do it.

"Need help?" Max asked, figuring that she may as well do something instead of waiting around for the results.

"I may do, actually," Rachel admitted as she motioned for Max to follow her. When they got there, it was easy to spot which bed Kate had meant. On the outside, the synth looked as human as anyone. Inside was a whole different story. "It's weird seeing inside. Kind of creeps me out." She gingerly began prodding and poking at the inner workings of the synth laid out on the bed with Max holding the mechanical body still. There was something very reluctant about her 'autopsy'. After a while, she removed her hands and sighed deeply. "This is definitely PresCorp's work. Without a doubt."

"How can you be so sure?" Max asked with a hint of disbelief. To her, all the pieces of metal looked the same. Like anybody could have made it. She couldn't pick out any distinguishing features. Then again, she hadn't spent much time looking at synth insides… and she wouldn't want to.

There was a prolonged pause as Rachel gathered her thoughts. When Max thought she might totally ignore the question, she finally answered, "I've encountered synths like this before on more than one occasion. There are… ways of identifying their origins." She grimaced as she said this, but this was only fleeting and she soon pressed on. "I had a feeling something like this might happen somewhere down the line. That's why I've been investigating the potential synth side of PresCorp. This makes things even more difficult."

"I sense a pattern emerging…" Max observed, hoping that their task wouldn't get too much harder from here on out. Deep down, she knew that was too optimistic.

Rachel nodded sympathetically, doing her best to ignore the opened up synth on the bed near them. "The deeper we dig, the more complex this will get. I'll have a more in-depth examination of this synth later. Hopefully, there will be something left to analyze." She ran her fingers through her long, blonde hair and let out a deep sigh. "For now, I… think I need a lie-down."

Max had never seen her like this and was understandably concerned. "You feeling okay?"

She hesitated before answering, "There is nothing to be worried about. I just need some rest." Before Max could press the issue, the usually impish blonde wandered off back to her room. The abruptness was worrying but she clearly needed some time to herself.

With Rachel gone, Max decided to go check up on Lynn, so headed to Kate's bedroom. They were both in there sitting on the bed. The young mercenary poked her head around the door and called out. "Hey, Lynn. Want to start the self-defense thing now?"

"Definitely," she replied eagerly which made Kate chuckle softly.

The two of them went down to the basement section of the warehouse. Max spent the next hour or so teaching Lynn basic self-defense moves, from punching to blocking and disarming. Her first rule had been to run away if that was possible. There was no point in getting into a fight you could avoid. By the end, Max was satisfied with the progress. Sure, Lynn wouldn't be winning any fighting tournaments anytime soon but she had grasped the basics surprisingly quickly.

Figuring that Lynn would be getting tired now, Max ended their session and passed her a bottle of water. "If you want, we can train like this whenever I have time. The more practice you get, the better."

She nodded enthusiastically as she took a large gulp of water. "Yes, if you're fine with that. Kate said I should probably stay here with her for now because it's safer. So, we have a chance."

"I am. You did well today but it never hurts to do more." She gently ruffled Lynn's hair before letting her run off back to Kate's room.

After tidying up, Max cracked her knuckles and began making her way back to her own room. As she headed back up the stairs, she froze. She felt as if someone was watching her and the feeling just wouldn't leave. Slowly, she proceeded to the main part of the warehouse, keeping an eye out for trouble. Suddenly, someone dropped from the ceiling directly on top of her. At the last second, Max swiftly dodged out of the way and used the momentum to flip the assailant onto the ground. Before they could recover, she pinned them to the ground to prevent further attacks or escape. When she finally got a good look at their face, she faltered and relaxed considerably. "Holy shit, Rica. I could've stabbed you or something."

"You didn't, though," Rica responded with her very annoying brand of logic as she laid there. "It's good to see that you can still handle yourself."

"Of course I can," Max helped her up off the floor, looking around for the others. "Where's everyone else?"

"Am I not good enough?" Rica sounded as hurt as she possibly could just to mess with her sister. Once she'd brushed herself down, she answered the question sincerely. "They had something to deal quickly with so they sent me ahead. Kind of a last minute thing. Anyway, they should be here later today. Maybe tomorrow at the latest."

A familiar voice cut through the conversation, belonging to Chloe. "Max, what's going on?"

Not long after, Victoria made an appearance. "I heard some noise so I thought I should investigate since everyone else is incapable."

"Is everything okay?" Kate asked worriedly as she rounded the corner, her brow furrowed slightly as she assessed the situation.

Rachel eyed Rica up thoughtfully when she reached the main part of the warehouse, interest flickering in her hazel eyes. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Max?

"I'm fine. This is my pain in the ass sister, Rica. She just tried to jump me because apparently, that's hilarious," Max sighed at her predictable behavior. Maybe she should have expected something like this.

"It was. You should have seen your face." Her eyes scanned over the faces of the women staring at her, clearly trying to figure out which one Max had taken a liking to.

"Where's the rest of your group?" Kate asked hesitantly, clearly not wanting to pry.

"They're coming. Certain complications arose, nothing too serious," Rica assured as she looked curiously at the women before her. "Now, you all know my name, so what are yours?"

"Right, introductions first. This is Kate, Chloe, and Victoria." Max pointed to each of them respectively.

Rica took a small bow, always ready to go over the top. "A pleasure to meet you all."

Kate offered her a welcoming smile. "And you, too."

"I second that," Rachel added with a charming grin.

Victoria just responded with her default look of contempt. Chloe, on the other hand, was still trying to get over the scare. For a moment, she'd thought someone was really trying to hurt Max. Rica's eyes lingered for just a fraction longer on Chloe than the others, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips. If she had to place a bet, the bluenette would be her first choice as Max's crush. There was just something about her that screamed it particularly loud. Realistically, any of the women stood before her would make decent candidates. Regardless, she would have much fun interrogating her dear sister about it later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the time is drawing near for when we meet the entirety of Verge. There should be some… interesting developments. That's all I'll say for now. Stay tuned to find out more.


	15. Verge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Verge is now on the move, ready to help Max with her mission. How will their appearance affect the group?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you're all doing well today. Here's the next chapter for this fic so enjoy. Let the teasing begin!

**Chapter Fifteen: Verge**

Eager to get Max alone so she could start her interrogation, Rica placed an arm around her shoulder. "Excuse me ladies, but I have some catching up to do with my little sis. Hope you don't mind."

"Aw, leaving so soon? Such a shame." Rachel looked genuinely saddened. The reason behind her disappointment was uncertain. Most likely either losing a teasing opportunity or a chance to flirt. Probably both knowing her.

Victoria clearly thought it was the latter from her expression. She might like to try and hide it but she did get _very_ jealous and possessive. Rachel knew that too. She enjoyed messing with the fiery assassin… and enjoyed the aftermath of her anger even more. Kate nodded with a smile, glad that Max had the chance to catch up with her sister. They might not be related by blood but that didn't mean anything. Family came in many forms. As for Chloe, she was still on edge from the sudden ambush.

After returning Kate's welcoming smile and ignoring the hostility radiating from Victoria, the flirtatious grin she received from Rachel and the skeptical glace she got from Chloe, Rica steered Max away from the group. "Man, what a weird ass group you have."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Max agreed as she reluctantly lead her sister to her bedroom. There was no avoiding the inevitable third degree. She might as well get it out of the way now.

The second the two of them were alone, Rica turned to Max with a cheeky grin. "Sooooo… which one is it?"

"Which one?" Max asked confusedly. She had a feeling where this was going but she didn't want to put ideas in her sister's head.

A mischievous twinkle flickered in Rica's eyes, one Max immediately regretted inspiring. "Possibly the cute, fluffy type? Maybe the sassy, sexy one? The tsundere? Or… how about the blue-haired punk? I have to say, I envy your wide range of choices."

It took all Max's resolve not to face palm. "Oh dog, are you seriously doing this?"

Her resistance only made Rica's grin widen. "Duh, I told you I would. Even if I hadn't, you should've been expecting it. So, out with it before I make an educated guess and get it totally right."

Deciding to give as good as she was getting, Max used the only advantage she had going for her now. "But what's the fun in telling you right away?"

Rica narrowed her eyes, determined to get to the bottom of her sister's crush. "It's gonna be like that, huh? Well, don't say I didn't warn you. I totally bet it's the bluenette. Chloe, wasn't it?"

"What? N-no way…" Max answered _way_ too nervously, completely giving herself away.

A glint of delight flashed in Rica's eyes, seeing through the transparent answer. "Shit, I guessed it right. Looks like I've still got it."

All Max could do was feign ignorance. She wouldn't give her sister the satisfaction of admitting such an embarrassing thing. She would _never_ hear the end of it if she did. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Unimpressed by the weak attempt to lie, Rica placed a hand on her hip. "Oh please, Max. Don't try that one on me. First, perfect your poker face."

Fighting a losing battle, Max maintained her stance on the topic in question. She couldn't back down now. "I'm not trying anything on you."

"So, you're saying I got it wrong then?" Rica asked, almost certain that wasn't the case.

Unable to lie outright, Max shrugged. "Maybe."

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much. I will get you to admit it and soon. Mark my words," her sister threatened playfully.

"That's what I was afraid of…" Max sighed, realizing that she would have to talk about it sooner or later. Rica wouldn't stop until she had confessed.

Rica grinned at the expression of reluctant acceptance. "Hey, I'm only looking out for my little sis."

Max rolled her eyes, knowing that was only a cover. "Sure you are. You're totally not just trying to find more teasing material."

"Would I do such a thing?" Rica asked innocently.

The act didn't fool Max. She knew her sister all too well to be duped. "Yes. You would without a doubt."

"Ouch, that hurts my feelings," Rica clutched melodramatically at her chest, stifling a grin. "You make it sound like you don't want me here."

That wasn't what Max had meant and Rica knew it. She was just messing with her. "Of course I want you here. I've missed you a lot."

"Aw, come here and give me a big hug." Before Max could agree, Rica scooped her up into a bone-crushing hug.

"Can't… breathe…" Max managed as she was squeezed.

"Sorry," Rica chuckled as she let her go. "You know me, always getting carried away."

Max shook her head, allowing herself a smile. "You can say that again."

"It'll be great to get the gang back together," Rica's expression changed, becoming more melancholic. "It's not quite the same without you around."

"And you call me sappy and sentimental…"

After sticking out her tongue, Rica countered. "Because you are. No matter what happens or where you are, you'll always be my little sis."

"And you'll always be my over-bearing, gossip-loving big sister," Max replied amusedly. Rica was everything she could want in a sibling. Sure, they argued sometimes but that was only natural. Most of the time, they got on like a house on fire.

"Ah, you know me so well," a familiar glint entered Rica's eyes, one of determination and mischief. "So anyway, back to your crush…"

Max let out a huge sigh. This was going to be a long night…

* * *

**Later**

Everyone had convened in the main part of the warehouse, waiting around to see if Verge would make an appearance. They had been in touch with Rica, telling her they should be there within the next hour or so. Presumably, they had finished up their business and were on their way.

"I only know a little about Verge," Rachel admitted making small talk while they waited. "I figure that you would be a good point of information."

The curiosity made Rica smile. "Oh, do you want to juicy gossip? I guess Max hasn't told you much."

"To be fair, we've had other things to do," Max stated. That was true. Discussing her background in detail had taken a back seat in the grand scheme of things.

"Like making heart eyes at our teammates." Rachel grinned as she looked at Chloe and Max. Predictably, the young mercenary blushed and refused to meet her gaze.

Chloe, on the other hand, flipped her off. "Like you can talk."

This was just more proof that Rica had guessed right the first time when confronting Max on her crush. She smiled to herself, still intent on getting her sister to admit it personally.

"I have to admit I am curious too," Kate mentioned shyly, trying to restore some order.

She wasn't the only one. Even if Victoria didn't want to admit it out loud, she wanted to know more about the elusive mercenary group. Chloe too was curious, mostly because of Max. The more she could find out about her, the better. Who better to turn to than her sister?

With a captivated audience, Rica began her story time. "Well, we're a group of mercenaries. The group started out with three people, Ash –our fearless leader–, Wraith and Wren about fifteen years ago. Before all this PresCorp mess. Over the years, they've expanded and gained more reputation. Not many get to see us this up close and personal… unless they aren't destined for this world much longer."

"I very nearly became one of those people," Chloe added, sounding pretty casual about it.

"So I've heard," Max had filled her in on the basics. It certainly had been an interesting story, especially if Chloe was the one Max was pining after. Assassin target turned lover. "Not many people escape Verge so I'd say you were pretty lucky." Now that her attention was turned to Chloe, she was tempted to start her subtle, public teasing. Before she could, she was interrupted.

"Did someone order backup?" The voice echoed around the warehouse, catching everyone's attention. Four people stood there, looking all the part the mercenary group they were. Verge had arrived. Max all but ran towards them, nearly tripping over in the process. That amused the group greatly. Rica was close behind her, following with much less stumbling. Chloe watched as Max was enveloped in a huge group huge. She looked like a small child in a way, smiling so genuinely. It was heart-warming to see.

Ash, the leader of the group, took Max by the shoulders, a proud expression on her face. "Max, you're looking well."

"I told you. Max can look after herself just fine." The woman who spoke next was tall and toned. She had long hair, fading from almost black at the roots to a teal colour at the tips. Wraith was Verge's tech expert and hacker. Not a modest one either.

"You know what better than anyone what Ash is like," a short man chuckled, flickers of warmth entering his deep amber eyes. His dark hair was tied up into a messy bun, a short beard covering his jaw line. Wren was his name, the group's weapons expert and oldest member. He was also Wraith's biological half-brother.

Wraith smirked at Ash's over-protectiveness as she ran her fingers through her hair. Normally, it would be tied up since it got in the way of her work, but she figured she could let it loose for now. "True. I shouldn't be so surprised at the unnecessary worrying."

"Yeah, laugh it up." Ash pouted, secretly enjoying the teasing. She might be the leader of the group but that didn't mean she escaped playful ridicule. Respect wasn't just about being strict all the time. It took much more than that.

"I'm glad to see everyone was worried about me too," Rica mentioned, sighing melodramatically. "I sense favoritism."

"We can _both_ look after ourselves just fine," Max finally said, acting as the group's mediator as usual. "This isn't a competition, you know."

"That's something a favorite child would say," Rica grumbled with mock annoyance. She'd missed this. Just being able to act silly with Max.

"Come on, Ri. Don't get all salty on us," Wraith pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair. "Your moms love you both just as much as each other."

Keeping up the moody teen act, Verge's second youngest member wriggled out of the hold, crossed her arms and pouted. "Again, sounds like something a parent trying to hide their favoritism would say."

"Alright you two, enough of that." Ash stepped in, not wanting this to turn into a full on fist fight. It happened more often than she would like. Mercenary play fights had a tendency to get very violent. Especially when a sense of competition kicked in.

Wraith offered her a cheeky grin, sidling up to her and lightly punching her arm. "You always were the responsible parent."

"And _you_ always like to stir trouble." Ash pointed out accusingly, unable to stifle her grin. Looking after everyone was a herculean task at the best of times. Mostly because of Wraith and Rica. Wren could have his moments of mischief too.

One of the group remained fairly silent during the exchange. A tall, burly man with a shaved head and ginger stubble. His dark green eyes lingered on Max, a small smile quirking at his lips. Axel was the group's quietest member, which wasn't hard to achieve. His eyes wandered over to the group Max had joined recently, lingering on a particular person. He appeared to be staring directly at Rachel, his expression fixed and eyes steely. She returned his stare, equally as stoic. It was a weird and unexpected exchange. Max noticed, wondering what was going on. She didn't have time to question them right now but she made a note to ask them.

The two groups began to exchange brief introductions, with Max as mediator. When that was over, Wraith stretched her arms above her head with a crack. "I don't know about you guys but I am hungry."

"When aren't you?" Ash pointed out, grinning at the predictable priority.

"You've had us running around all day," Wraith whined, her stomach intervening with a timely grumble.

Wren nodded, maintaining his usual calm and composed manner. "I must admit food would be welcomed."

"I'll see what I can rustle up for you," Kate mentioned ready to make her way over to the kitchen. She was used to making meals for many people, thanks to her work at the clinic. There were limited volunteers, only five in total for now, so she ended up doing a variety of tasks to keep the place running. Cooking and cleaning included, as well as general organization.

"May I offer my assistance?" Wren offered, feeling bad for imposing on their hospitality. It was just in his nature. Wraith often teased him about his polite nature, especially given their heritage. Their mother had been a world class assassin, a real brute with no manners to speak of. About as selfish and egocentric as you could get. She did what she wanted, when she wanted and did so with flare and confidence. Nothing could get in the way of her goal. Wraith was a little more like her than Wren, but not _too_ much thankfully.

Kate smiled appreciatively and motioned towards the kitchen. "Of course."

The two of them left the mismatched group to prepare a meal for them all. Hearing that Rachel was the hacker of the group, Wraith latched onto her to nerd out with. The rest of Verge had a very limited knowledge of hacking and technology, a lot of her geek speak going way over their heads. Rachel was more than happy to join in, taking every opportunity to drop a few flirtations in here and there. As for Wraith, she was happy to receive and return them.

Ash shook her head at the pair, noticing the sudden aura of anger coming from Victoria. There was only one reason she could think of that could inspire such a reaction. "Let me guess, you two are an item?"

"What's it to you?" Victoria snapped, annoyed at the whole situation. When she couldn't see Rachel, she couldn't care less what she was up to. Or at least that's what she told herself. It was _very_ different when she was openly flirting right in front of her.

Not offended in the slightest by the outburst, Ash leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. "Don't worry about Wraith, she is happily taken. She might not act like it sometimes, but she won't do anything to cross the line. Some people are just flirtatious by nature and it's best to let them indulge a bit."

Chloe could hear the conversation and decided to add her own thoughts. "Rach might be overenthusiastic sometimes, but she wouldn't do anything to really hurt you. You should know that better than anyone."

"I wasn't worried," the blonde assassin added defensively, feeling a bit better for the reassurance. She might not look it but she was immensely insecure.

While everyone was talking amongst themselves, Max surveyed the scene. Like that, the warehouse had become a bubbling hive of activity. Her past and present colliding right before her eyes. It felt so surreal. The place had seemed so empty before. Not anymore. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Axel staring at Rachel again. She had never seen him like this before, so intense.

Curious to find out just what was going on, Max approached him. "Axel, what's wrong? You seem on edge."

He tilted his head towards Rachel, watching as she chatted away to Wraith. "Be careful around that girl."

That answer just confused Max more. "Why?"

"She might be trouble," Axel replied without giving any more detail.

There had to be a reason behind his response. "Do you know her?"

"You're better off asking her that," he suggested. Even if Max pushed, she probably wouldn't get any more information from him. Out of all of them, he was the most stubborn… which was saying a lot. Without another word, he made his way over to the kitchen to help Kate and Wren.

With more questions than answers, Max decided to confront Rachel. Now was as good a time as any. She strode over to Rachel, who had just finished talking with Wraith. "Rachel, I need a word."

"Ooooh, where are you taking me?" she asked coyly.

"Somewhere more private," Max replied.

"I'm not going to say no to that." Rachel followed the young mercenary to a more secluded area of the warehouse, away from prying eyes. The blonde hacker offered a suggestive smile, only half-joking. She always liked to try her luck. If you didn't ask, you didn't get. That was a principle she lived by. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you gave into my charms."

Ignoring the flirtation attempt, Max got right to the heart of the issue. "Do you know Axel by any chance? The guy you were having a staring contest with before."

The hint of flirtatious humor faded slightly, replaced with something much more serious. "He did seem vaguely familiar at first. Not so much now."

"The atmosphere between you guys was pretty… intense," Max prompted, wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery.

"Well, the person I mistook him for deserved that kind of suspicion," the blonde hacker replied simply.

"He seemed to know you too," Max pushed. She had started this conversation so she may as well go all the way. If she gave up now, she might never get her answers.

"He told you that?" Rachel asked skeptically.

It didn't take a genius to work out some sort of connection. "Indirectly, yes. He didn't seem to think he'd mistaken your identity."

Rachel allowed herself a smile. She couldn't blame Max for being curious, especially when it involved a family member. "My, you sure are persistent. Most people would have given up by now."

"Like I said before, I'm not most people." A tense silence hung between them, both waiting to see who would snap first.

"How about this? When you feel comfortable enough to divulge how you lost your arm, then I'll let you in on my secret. One of them, anyway." Rachel suggested, not expecting Max to accept the offer right away. That was the reason why she had said it. This way, she could get a bit of breathing space.

"You know how to drive a hard bargain…" Max had expected some kind of catch, a quid pro quo. Unfortunately, the story Rachel wanted to hear about was extremely difficult to retell. Nobody outside of Verge knew and they only knew the intricate details because they'd been directly involved. That event had signified the ultimate betrayal of trust, not just for Max. Both she and the other members of Verge had never been quite the same since.

"It seems a fair enough trade to me. A secret for a secret. Recalling my experience will cause me about as much emotional stress as yours will for you, I imagine. So, let me know if that becomes an option for you. Then we'll talk." She waited for a few seconds, lingering to see if Max would divulge her secret. When the silence continued, Rachel shrugged and wandered off. Sooner or later, she would have to tell them all, so she may as well try to get something out of it in return before she was forced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many characters to keep tabs on now… it's gonna be hectic. Anyway, have a great day and see you next time.


	16. Sparks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back to the fic. Sorry it's been so long. Had tech problems and uni stuff to do. Tech problems have been resolved, so that's something. Anyways, here's the chapter.

**Chapter Sixteen: Sparks**

**Two Days Later – Early Morning – Warehouse HQ**

Verge's members had made themselves comfortable over the past couple of days, each taking their own rooms and parts in the main part of the warehouse. Luckily, the building had more than enough space for them. Ash was the first of her group to wake, as usual. The rest were pretty lazy most days, with the exception of Axel. Sometimes, she had to physically wrestle them out of bed. Not fun by any means. Wraith was the worst, by far. Rica taking a close second. She headed out into the main part of the warehouse, noticing someone at the long table near the kitchen. Blue hair hung down to her chin, seeming damp.

"You were the last person I was expecting to see this early," Ash announced as she approached the table.

Chloe turned to face her, nodding sleepily. "You and me both. I had trouble sleeping last night. Thought I may as well put my restlessness to good use and warm up in the basement before everyone woke up."

"Good idea," Ash agreed. When everyone discovered they had a basement work out zone, they just had to try it out straight away. "My lot seem to like the gym you've set up. They aren't great at sharing."

"No worse than anyone here was. There's just more people to fight it out with now," Chloe observed. Even when it had just been her and Rachel, they always seemed to find something to fight over. Maybe that was just their nature.

Ash smiled as she started making breakfast. The smell would no doubt rouse the rest of her motley crew, so she decided to make enough for everyone. "I hope they don't cause you too much trouble. If anyone does, just come find me. I'll sort them out."

"Same goes for my lot," Chloe mentioned through a yawn.

Once she had finished the preparation stage, Ash glanced over her shoulder. "So, a little bird tells me you've taken a liking to Max."

Chloe didn't reply straight away, trying to gauge the correct answer here. "Have you been talking to Rachel?"

"Maybe," Ash answered noncommittally. While Rachel had not-so-subtly suggested something might be going on, Rica had also voiced her suspicions. "Don't worry, I think it's nice. So long as you're serious, of course." She felt as if she had to say something, even if it was slightly interfering in personal affairs. "Max might seem tough, but she's fragile when it comes to people. She's been hurt before by people she thought she could trust. People she _should_ have been able to trust with her life. I don't know what's going on between you, and I don't need to. Just… be careful with her."

There was a long pause as Chloe took in her plea. "I will. Max is… I don't know, I like her. A lot."

That answer made Ash relax slightly. "That's the impression I got. You know what I think? Max likes you a lot too. I don't think I've seen her smile so much before."

"Really?" Chloe asked, sounding uncertain of herself.

"Yes, really," Ash reassured. "That's all that matters to me and the rest of her family, that she's happy."

Before Chloe could respond, someone else staggered into the warehouse. A tall woman with long, teal-colored hair. Her light brown eyes settled on Ash, a smile tugging at her lips. "Look at you being a domestic goddess."

Brandishing a spatula, Ash turned around with an unimpressed expression. "Drop the domestic bit and you've got it."

"Someone's modest today," Wraith chuckled heartily, the sarcasm bleeding through each syllable.

"It takes god-like powers to keep you lot in check. Speaking of…" Ash glanced over to the bedroom hallway. "Keep an eye on the food for a sec, will you?"

"Sure," Wraith agreed as she plonked herself down next to Chloe. Once Ash had left, she turned to the bluenette, grinning. "So, I heard you getting the third degree. Don't worry too much about Ash. Her bark's worse than her bite. I would know better than anyone. God knows how many times I've been on the end of her wrath. She's just worried about Max."

"So I figured. I get it," Chloe mentioned agreeably. If she had been in that position, her mother and father would be doing exactly the same, if not more enthusiastically. The thought of her father made her frown. She missed him so much, time never changed that.

Wraith let out a small sigh of relief. She didn't want Ash's enthusiasm to chase off a chance for Max to have someone special in her life. "Good. She means well. You don't seem like a bad person to me. I can usually tell."

"Yeah?" Chloe asked, curious to know how Wraith could be so certain of that.

Keeping the bluenette in suspense for just a moment longer, Wraith stood up and grabbed a drink. "I just compare people to my mom, then I get a good idea. The more alike they are, the more I steer clear. It's a simple, yet effective test."

"I guess you don't get on well," Chloe observed sadly. She wasn't sure which was worse, a missing parent or a useless one. As she only had one-side of that experience, she couldn't judge.

"Not when I last checked, no," the other woman stated matter-of-factly. "Haven't seen her in a while, probably for the best."

As far as Wraith knew, she was still alive and kicking. It would take a lot to kill her, as many had found out the hard way, losing their lives in the process. That was the penalty for crossing her mother's path. She was ruthless and merciless. Not that she really blamed her. She'd had a hard life from the little she had divulged to Wraith and Wren. Then again, everyone had nowadays. Maternal instincts had never quite set in for her.

Chloe nodded sympathetically. "That's a shame. Losing a parent, whether to death or through their own behavior, sucks."

Sensing a story behind that, Wraith decided not to push for details. Not everyone wanted to talk about it. "It does. At least my step-dad's a good sort. Still see him sometimes."

"I thought step-parents were all supposed to be evil," Chloe added wryly.

"Guess I got lucky." Her step-father and Wren's biological dad, Cosmos as they called him because of his love for space, was the softest hearted guy to ever have existed. Wren took after him in a lot of ways. How he ever got caught up with their mother was well beyond them. Wraith's biological dad had been a real bastard from what she had pieced together, so that relationship, one night stand or whatever it had been, made sense. Cosmos though… he was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. He never went into much detail, as much as they pressed, saying that he would tell them 'one day', whatever that meant. Not wanting to get too caught up in that now, Wraith turned her attention back to Chloe. "Anyway, enough about that. Back to Max… are you two an item or not?"

"Everyone really wants to know the gossip, huh?" Chloe sighed reluctantly, coming to the slow realization that she wasn't getting out of this.

Wraith grinned broadly, lightly punching her shoulder. "Damn right we do! I'm basically Max's parent, so I must press for this kind of info."

Thinking her options over or lack thereof, Chloe finally resigned herself to her fate. "Well, there's not really anything going on to report."

Light brown eyes met blue as Wraith tried to figure out if she was telling the truth or not. Deciding that the blue haired rebel was, in fact, being honest, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. "Sounds like someone wishes there was. I think you'll be just fine. Max is easy to read, so you'll know whether she feels the same way or not. From what I've seen, the answer's yes. Just take things at your own pace. No need to rush things."

Just as she finished up this motivational speech, Ash returned with the rest of Verge and the others in toe. They all trudged over to the table, some grabbing plates and other necessities for their upcoming meal. Soon enough, they began talking amongst themselves, waiting on breakfast.

Max took the other vacant seat beside Chloe, offering a warm smile. "Morning."

Very aware of the smug grin coming from Wraith, Chloe returned the smile. "Mornin'. Sleep well?"

The young mercenary shrugged, wiggling her hand in a non-committal gesture. "So-so. You?"

"Not great, if I'm honest," Chloe admitted. No point in hiding it. The dark circles under her eyes gave it away. "Had a lot of things on my mind." Biting the bullet, she lowered her voice so only Max could hear. "I, uh… want to have a talk later… in private."

Looking a little confused, Max hesitantly agreed. "Okay, sure. Why not?"

Before she could ask further questions, a plate was placed in front of her. Ash had outdone herself, making even the most unappealing ingredients look and smell amazing. "Eat up everyone."

She didn't have to tell them twice. The next few minutes were filled with clattering cutlery, shuffling chairs and satisfied sighs as they ate. Max looked at the familiar faces surrounding her, feeling a sense of contentment to be in the presence of friends and family, both old and new.

Before they all disappeared off to do their own thing, Rachel tapped her fork against her glass to get their undivided attention. "Later, we will meet to discuss our next moves. I understand some of you have been doing your own investigating and found some useful information."

There were a few nods and sounds of agreement among the group as they slowly left the table. Kate, Lynn, Victoria and Wraith were on cleaning duty today, so got to work gathering together the various plates and cutlery to wash. Wren, Rachel and Axel, who seemed to be not-so-subtly tailing the blonde hacker at every possibility, headed down to the basement. Ash had gone back to her room, mentioning something about getting in touch with an old contact. Rica had offered Max a wink before returning to her own room, no doubt to sleep more. That left Chloe and Max still sat at the table.

Giving her a meaningful glance, Chloe stood up and headed over to the bedroom hallway. Taking that as a sign to follow, Max got up and tailed her. Suddenly, she felt a little nervous. Not in a bad way, really. She just didn't know what to do with that feeling exactly. Once they entered Chloe's room, they made their way over to the bed and sat down.

Max shuffled slightly, trying to get comfortable. "So… what's up?"

After glancing over at the door for a brief moment, as if she were checking for eavesdroppers, Chloe turned back to Max. "Just thought I'd give you a warning. Some of your group seem intent on getting to the bottom of us."

"Us?"

Chloe nodded, continuing more cautiously. "They think there is something going on between us… if you catch my drift."

"Oh, oh…" Max's eyes widened a fraction as she slowly understood what the bluenette was getting at. "I kind of knew that, but I didn't think they'd get to you. They can be so nosy, sometimes. Sorry."

Instead of the annoyance Max had been expecting, Chloe seemed fine with their meddling. "What for? They might be reading too far into it, but I think they might be onto something."

"I… you..." Max stuttered, not sure how to react to that.

Now that it was out in the open, Chloe couldn't take it back. She just had to keep pressing forward, wherever it took her. "You feel it too, right? Like a pull, drawing us closer. Weird magnets type shit." She paused, looking to Max to gauge her reaction. "Please say it's not just me, because that would make this really embarrassing."

"Y-yeah, I feel it too," Max quickly confirmed, still feeling somewhat stunned. At least she knew Chloe hadn't been messing around before, just wanting to tease her.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Chloe allowed herself a nervous smile. "You had me worried for a sec. I'm not saying it's a thing yet, but maybe in the future it could be."

The more she thought about it, the more Max could imagine that possibility happening. It made her feel slightly happier just thinking about it. "I can see that."

"I just wanted to confirm it before I started getting carried away, you know," Chloe added, still very conscious of Max's reaction to each sentence she put together. "No pressure or anything, but I've gone down certain routes before only to find all too late they are blocked. It's still early days and all for us, so…"

To reassure her, Max took her head in her hands, gently forcing it so their eyes met. "Chloe, I do like you. You seem to be an interesting person to be around and I feel surprisingly comfortable with you. I think I've only just scratched the surface, so I need more time to explore, but that doesn't change the fact that I enjoy spending time with you."

The once tense expression gave way to relief. "I feel the same way. I've rushed things before and they've never ended well, so I want to take this slow, get to know you better. And if things happen, they happen."

"Sounds like a plan I can get behind," Max agreed, feeling a little flustered at the conversation. They had both felt that spark. While it might be too early for them to fully explore it, admitting it was there was a good start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured it was about time to get something a little more concrete for Pricefield in place now we are 16 chapters in – didn't realise it was that many already. Still so much to cover. Now, off to sleep for me, hopefully – thank you spring clock change for messing up my sleep pattern more than it already is. Have a great day and see you next time.


	17. Secrets Part Told

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back to the story. Hope you enjoy.

**Chapter Seventeen: Secrets Part Told**

**Late Morning – HQ Warehouse**

As planned, everyone met up in the main part of the warehouse to talk about their next moves. After finding more chairs for everyone to sit on, Rachel started off the meeting. "I'll cut to the chase. We don't have much time left before PresCorp start getting suspicious. Max can only hold them off for so long."

"A week and a half is the best I can do, maybe two at a real push. That's not likely, though," Max added. It had almost been a month since accepting the PresCorp job, her usual timeframe. She doubted someone like Mark Jefferson would have the patience to extend the contract.

Rachel acknowledged the comment with a nod. "So, let's have a chat about our next moves. Watchdog and the Chase Network are monitoring the areas where PresCorp activity has been reported and are looking into the mercenary group Vortex to see their connection. As far as the synth from the other day goes, definitely PresCorp property and we're searching through whatever data we can find."

Ash waited for her to finish before mentioning how Verge was getting on. "We have a few contacts in Neo-Seattle, so we'll try and rally some more support. Mostly firepower, but also some hackers and covert operation types too."

"More firepower never hurts." Chloe knew as well as the others that this wouldn't end peacefully. There would be conflict down the line. They just had to be ready for it.

Victoria was next, reporting back on her personal investigations. "I've been in touch with an old media contact. They were victims of PresCorp censorship regime. Still active, be it underground, and seem interested in helping."

Smiling, Rachel clapped her hands together. "Great, we can publicize what we find and cause some doubt among the public when we have the relevant info. I would like to meet with them before we go ahead."

"I'll arrange a meeting later today," the blonde assassin confirmed.

Shyly, Kate was next to relay what she had been up to. "I've been asking everyone to keep an eye out for strange occurrences. You'd be surprised how many people come into contact with the clinic. People want to help, especially after the synth incident. I might have a few leads to follow up on regarding locations."

Max smiled, knowing that Kate would pull through. She always did, even though she doubted herself a lot of the time. "The more eyes we have on the streets, the better."

"The Punk Pirate forums have exploded with info, as you can imagine. Most of it's rumors, but some parts seem to be legit," Chloe mentioned. She had been looking into some of the more credible possibilities whenever she could, compiling all the information she could.

Happy with their collective findings, Rachel took charge once more. "I'll forward it all to Watchdog and the Chase Network to add to the list. We should focus on solid leads for now. I'll meet with Victoria's media contact and we'll all continue our individual missions. Anything important comes up, let me know."

With their findings exchanged, the group split up once more. They had all claimed their own part of the warehouse. Kate often could be found over by the med bay, Lynn too. Wraith and Rachel just couldn't keep away from the tech room, nerding out over their passion. Ash and Wraith usually stayed down in the basement gym. Rica had taken up shop in the planning area, while Wren had converted one of the storage rooms into a weapons workshop. Victoria had also repurposed one of the empty rooms, turning it into a communication center. As for Axel, he hung around in the basement too when he wasn't in his room. Finally, Chloe stuck near the kitchen.

Her fellow Verge members, however, seemed to all be converging down in the basement. Ash caught her eye, motioning for Max to join them. Obliging, she followed them down. They hadn't really managed to meet as a big group since coming, all of them unpacking and preparing.

"So, how are you holding up, Max?" Ash asked, her role as worried mom taking over. "I imagine things have been hectic recently."

Max nodded, agreeing with that conclusion. "They have, but it feels like we're actually getting somewhere now."

Wraith grinned, slinging her arm around Max's shoulder. "You have us here, that's why."

"As humble as ever I see, sis," Wren mentioned with a smile, crossing his arm. Modesty was one thing Wraith had never possessed.

"Damn right I am." She grinned, confident in herself.

"You have to admit, we're quite the asset," Rica pointed out proudly.

"Indeed," Axel agreed in his usual concise manner.

Max smiled at them all, her family. "I appreciate you guys coming all the way over here. Seriously. I know you have like a million other things you could be doing."

"Max, you know we have your back. We always will. Never doubt that," Ash re-affirmed. Max was like a daughter to her and she was proud of her. She had chosen her own path, despite her awkward start in life, following something she believed in. Verge would do everything they could to help her achieve that.

"Yeah, we're a team. No matter what," Rica stated matter-of-factly, shoving Max affectionately. "You're not getting rid of us that easily."

Wraith unleashed her inner actress, clutching at her chest melodramatically. "Oh, heart-warming family reunions always make me tear up."

Wren chuckled at his half-sisters overacting, while Axel allowed himself a rare smile.

Seeing her family again made Max so happy, more than she could ever express in words. "I can't tell you how great it is to see you all again."

Axel's smile widened hearing this. "The feeling is definitely mutual."

"See, even Axel is showing some emotion… in his own way," Wraith lightly teased, nudging him with her elbow.

Used to the teasing, he shook his head. "I think you are doing enough of that for all of us, Wraith."

Sticking out her tongue, Wraith narrowed her eyes. She wasn't really mad, of course. Just pretending. Leaving them to it, Max parted ways with the rest of her family. They all had their own things to attend to and now they were all together, they would have plenty of time to catch up. Max had something in particular on her mind, not mission critical but impossible to ignore. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't stop thinking about what Rachel's secret could be. It was driving her crazy and it'd only been a couple of days. Problem was, the story of how she lost her arm was… painful to recall, let alone retell. Still, if she wanted to know about Rachel she had to talk about it. That and she wanted to show that she trusted the people in her team. Without trust, they wouldn't last long.

Her mind made up, Max decided to go and find her. She didn't have to search for long. Rachel was in her room, idly flicking through a dog-eared book. All data had been digitalized by the late 21st Century, making actual physical books rare. Not like they had the resources to make more now.

Clearing her throat to make her presence know, Max instigated the conversation when their eyes met. "Rachel… I think I'm ready to tell you. About my arm."

Rachel put the book to one side, motioning for her to come in. Once Max had sat down, the blonde hacker offered a charming grin. "I'm listening."

Swallowing hard, Max gave a brief summary of her story. She couldn't face details, so hopefully this would be enough. "It was… an ex-member of Verge. The one who caused me to lose my arm and messed up my eye too, hence the enhancements. She betrayed us all."

Rachel nodded, taking the information in. "I see. That must have been difficult to come to terms with."

"It was. Even now, I don't want to believe it. None of us do." Max's expression dropped, shoulders slumping. As expected, it was hard talking about it. Having a robotic arm wasn't the problem, that she had gotten used to. The problem was the betrayal.

Realizing that Max wasn't ready to go into more detail, Rachel rolled her shoulders. "A deal's a deal. In answer to your previous question, yes I do know Axel. We were held captive together, going back a few years now."

"Captive?" Max repeated, surprised by the confession. This was the first time she had heard anything like this. Axel had kept his past to himself, and that had been fine. Verge didn't care who you used to be, as long as you were loyal.

"Want to take a guess who our jailor was? Small hint, my past and this mission may be connected and my motivations more complex than simply ushering in a better future," Rachel admitted, sounding understandably bitter.

Max made the connection, eyes widening. "Wait… PresCorp had you guys locked up. Why?"

Rachel shook her head, waggling her finger. "Oh, Max… I fulfilled my part of the deal. Just as you did yours. A question for a question, an answer for an answer. You wanted to know if I knew Axel and I told you. In fact, I gave you more information than necessary."

The young mercenary had expected such a cryptic answer. Still, she had hoped for something more substantial. Rachel's answer had only led to more questions. Beggars couldn't be choosers she supposed. Maybe later she would find out more.

"Axel doesn't seem to trust you."

Considering the statement, the blonde hacker shrugged. "Yes, I don't suppose he would. The same could go for him using the same logic. I suggest not digging further for now. Asking Axel will probably get you about as far as asking me since we're essentially keeping the same secret. One that neither of us really want exposed. When the time comes, I may reveal more but for now that's all you get. That's a lot more than most get out of me."

Sensing that she had reached the end of this conversation, Max nodded. Something told her she shouldn't push any further. More confused than ever, she made her way back to her room in a daze and sat on her bed.

"Yo, Max. Hellooooo…" A hand waving in front of her face pulled her from her thought.

Max jumped, surprised by the sudden movement. When she focused on her surroundings, she saw a familiar face and vibrant blue hair. "Sorry, Chloe. I was… distracted."

"Yeah, I can see that. I tried talking to you and you didn't react. I was kinda worried, so followed you in here," Chloe sat down beside me on the bed. "Anything I can help with?"

Wringing her hands, Max began to explain. Chloe would probably know about Rachel's past. She wouldn't ask for any more information, no more than she had been told personally. "Rachel told me a little about her past, how she was captured by PresCorp."

"She told you?" Chloe seemed amazed to find this out.

Max nodded, continuing. "I had to tell her something in exchange. About how I lost my arm."

The bluenette didn't answer straight away, gathering her thoughts. "Sounds like her kind of deal. I have to admit, I'm kinda curious too. No pressure or anything…"

Figuring that she might as well tell Chloe now Rachel knew, Max finally responded to the request. "An ex-member of Verge fucked us over."

Chloe's expression fell, eyes flickering with sympathy. "Ah, inside job. That's a tough thing to handle."

"It was, still is," Max admitted, feeling frustrated about the whole incident. Sure, it happened a long time ago now, but she couldn't help how she felt. "I really trusted her, we all did. It hit Ash particularly hard."

After a second or two, Chloe placed her hand on Max's shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Max reached over to cover her hand, the contact helping a little. "Thanks. I just… wish we knew why, you know. My life's been full of questions I can't find the answers to. Like what happened to my parents."

"I hear that. My dad suddenly went missing so I get how you feel a little." She let out a soft sigh before looking Max in the eyes, smiling warmly. "I guess if my life had been different, I wouldn't have met you. That'd have been a shame."

"It would have," the young mercenary agreed. Just thinking that she might not have met Chloe made her feel sad.

"Max, I… uh, hope this isn't too early or anything but… can I…?" The question hung in the air unfinished.

"Can you… what?" Max prompted, her heart rate picking up at the intense stare she was receiving from the bluenette.

Confliction crossing her features, Chloe finally finished her question. "Kiss you? You don't have to or anything. I just… want to. Didn't want to just do it, in case you didn't want that too."

The question did surprise Max, not in a bad way. Before she knew it, she found herself nodding. Overthinking things had never worked out well in the past so she might as well just go with her gut instinct. "I think I do want that."

Chloe seemed just as surprised at that response as Max had hearing the question. "Right, well… good."

After a few seconds, Chloe cleared her throat and leaned in closer. Max hesitantly met her half way, their lips colliding. The kiss was shy at first, both women taking a moment to process what was actually happening. Chloe's hand found Max's face as the kiss became a little more confident, remaining reserved. There was no need to rush this. Max wasn't quite sure what she had been expecting. Her only previous experience had been based on vids and other media. Not the most reliable of sources. She found herself enjoying it. For Chloe, this wasn't her first kiss. She'd had a few brief romantic encounters in her life, nothing too involved. Hopefully, whatever this thing was with Max would last a hell of a lot longer than anything she had already experienced. It was still early days yet, but she wanted to give this a chance wherever it went.

"Well, that happened…" Max managed, her cheeks a light shade of pink when they pulled apart.

Chloe chuckled at that, letting her hand come to rest on the bed once more. "It sure did. Maybe it can happen again some other time."

"Definitely." It was hard to say no when Chloe looked at her like this and Max wanted to. For the first time in her life, she _really_ wanted, maybe even needed this.

Smiling, the blue-haired punk reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Max's ear, fingertips brushing against her cheek. "So, I have a few minutes to spare still. Wanna cuddle for a while or something? Chill out before getting back to the doom and gloom."

Max returned the smile, more than happy to oblige. "Don't mind if I do."

Both women laid down on the bed, getting settled in each other's arms. It felt warm, safe… right. That was all they needed for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a little more Pricefield this time. Slowly building up. Have a great day and see you next time.


	18. One Step Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a summary of previous chapters, since it's been a while:
> 
> Max, the mercenary 'Camera Eye,' was employed by PresCorp, led by CEO Mark Jefferson, to eliminate the rebel Punk Pirate, aka Chloe Price. Instead of fighting, Max and Chloe struck a deal to take the corrupt company down. Also along for the ride are: Rachel Amber - a mysterious hacker, Kate Marsh – a doctor at the local volunteer clinic in District Nine of Neo Seattle, and Victoria Chase - an assassin running the Chase Network, a group dealing in information brokering. Verge - the mercenary group who took Max in after her parents disappeared – recently joined the mismatched team in their mission.
> 
> Kate is doing her best to juggle her volunteer work, looking after her little sister, Lynn, and helping Max – a long-term patron of her clinic. Rachel has a secret; one she seems reluctant to tell – involving Verge member Axel and PresCorp. Additionally, she and Victoria have a history. Max's cybernetic augmentations were the result of a betrayal, by none other than an ex-member of Verge. She is investigating her parents' disappearance, the reason she came to Neo-Seattle in the first place. Moreover, she has become close with Chloe, who is also looking for answers surrounding her own father's disappearance.
> 
> With their criminal contact, Frank, they have been working to get the gangs on side – the 'unofficial' enforcers of Jefferson's regime. Verge's rival mercenary gang, Vortex, is involved with PresCorp somehow. If that wasn't enough to contend with, a synth attack hit Kate's clinic, giving the group something else to worry about.
> 
> Hope that helps refresh :)

**Chapter Eighteen: One Step Forward**

**Three Days Later -** **Afternoon – Warehouse HQ**

The past few days had been hectic, everyone working on their own mini-missions. Verge had been gathering all the information they could on Vortex, the mercenary gang assisting PresCorp, and calling in all their favors. Kate had spent her time asking around for information, too. Her clinic had never been so busy as it was now and people were more than willing to help. Chloe had been reaching out on the Punk Pirate forums as well as cashing in on a few debts she was owed. Rachel was working with Wraith, the two tech wizards of the large group, in collaboration with Watchdog and the Chase Network to find anything worth investigating. They had been setting a lot of smaller deals in place, ready to drain PresCorp's fortune and resources.

Out of all of them, Victoria had been the busiest. She had co-ordinated everything and everyone. Predictably, she enjoyed bossing people around. Not only that, but she met with her media contact the other day – who already ran an underground newspaper as an answer to PresCorp's heavy censorship – and arranged a deal. Also, she had been in correspondence with Frank, making sure his mission to gather the criminal gangs' support against PresCorp was going smoothly. Additionally, she had been searching for a suitable replacement for Mark Jefferson. His deposition would leave a huge power vacuum. If they left that unfilled, who knew what bastard could take control. They could be worse, as hard as that was to imagine. Most importantly, they needed someone from the higher districts to publically endorse their cause when the time came, of which there were a few possible candidates.

As for Max, she had continued spinning her web of lies for Mark Jefferson's benefit to buy them time. That was her top priority for the moment.

Their plan was well on its way, and not a second too soon. They were swiftly running out of time, anywhere between one and a more than generous two weeks before PresCorp would get suspicious. After that point, they would have little chance left to prepare. Anything that required planning had to be done now while they had the time.

Everyone had gathered at the planning station, ready to discuss their tactics for the immediate future. They had passed all their individual information onto Victoria and Rachel prior to the meeting, letting them sort it all out properly. Out of everyone, they were the most efficient and organized. True to their reputation, they had sifted through all the information and compiled the relevant findings in a matter of hours.

As usual, Rachel took the stand to discuss their next moves. "Glad you could all join me. Let's get straight to business. Our biggest problem now is PresCorp's potential synth army. We've seen they are using them, the incident at Kate's clinic a prime example. We need to disable that threat, subtly if possible."

Chloe chimed in here with a predictable proposal. "Seems like a good idea to just blow it up."

"I had a feeling you would say that. Need I remind you that we aren't quite ready to move, maybe sixty percent if I'm generous. We can't risk an open challenge." Now that idea had been shot down, Rachel continued with her original plan holding up a small chip-sized device for all to see. "The synth from Kate's clinic had a control chip. If we can somehow hack that on a wide enough scale, we can turn PresCorp's own forces against them."

"How do we do that?" Kate pressed for more information, wondering how they would actually manage such a difficult task.

Wasting no time, the blonde hacker answered her question. "We need to infiltrate the main command center and essentially unleash a dormant virus. A ticking time-bomb. When we activate it, the virus will corrupt the system and leave it open for us to hack."

Wraith rubbed her hands together, practically vibrating with excitement. "We've been working on something very special for our dear friends at PresCorp."

Ash shook her head, rolling her eyes playfully. "You really scare me sometimes, you know that?"

"Only sometimes?" Wren asked with a smug grin, Axel managing a rare smile of agreement.

"The only problem is getting in, right?" Victoria interrupted, getting them back on track.

Rachel nodded, Victoria taking the words right out of her mouth. "Correct. Actually getting into the belly of the beast without drawing attention, that's the difficult part."

"Maybe a distraction? PresCorp want me, right? If I can draw them away, you can take a small team inside," the blue-haired rebel suggested. "Classic distraction."

The young mercenary gave her an uncertain glance. "That's… kinda dangerous."

"Don't worry, Max. I've got out of tougher scrapes before. The really dangerous part is going inside the facility." Giving it some thought, Chloe came up with a solution. "Give PresCorp a tip that I'm going to attack somewhere on the other side of the district, draw them away. Jefferson's so trigger happy that he'll go for it."

If Max had been opposed to the idea before, that was _nothing_ compared to now. "What? And put yourself in even more danger?" Chloe and the others would already have the bulk of the heat without drawing more attention to themselves.

Not all that thrilled about being in the line of fire either, Chloe gave her a sympathetic look. "We don't have much choice. We _need_ that place as clear as possible, all eyes drawn away."

"Not a bad idea," Victoria conceded. "Surprising for you, Price."

Rachel thought it over, knowing that was their best option. "There is a PresCorp storage warehouse on the other side of District Nine that I suspect Jefferson would want to defend. Got all kinda things stashed away in there."

"Out of the question," Max cut in. There was no way she could endorse this suicide attempt.

Kate glanced at her friend, adding her opinion into the mix. "It does seem like an accident waiting to happen."

Having expected some resistance, the bluenette already had an answer prepared. "Kate, Max, come on. We need this. Otherwise, they've won. You don't want that, do you?"

"No, but…" Max sighed, letting the sentence hang unfinished. Whatever she said, Chloe would find a way to refute her.

When it was clear that she had finished protesting, Rachel continued explaining the necessary setup. "Me and Wraith need to be in the infiltration team, obvious reasons. I reckon we could use two more people, on the stealthy side if possible. Just in case."

If Chloe was putting herself at risk like this, the least Max could do was match her effort. "I'll go."

The blue-haired punk was momentarily taken aback, frowning. "What? Wait, no way."

"If you're leading the distraction, then I'm doing this," Max insisted, not willing to back down.

Ash looked between the two women, seeing so much of herself and Wraith in them, mainly stubbornness. If anyone was going to accompany Max on this mini-mission, it should be her. "I'll come, too."

Unable to see a good reason to argue, Chloe sighed and gave up her protest. There was no point. Now she was silent, Rachel continued. "The rest of you can help with the distraction part of the plan, with Victoria overseeing. Kate, we need you on standby. This has the potential to get messy."

"On it." Kate nodded, resolute. "I'll do whatever you need."

Rachel gave her a mischievous smirk. "Hmm… be careful what you offer."

"Rach, not now," Chloe added, trying to steer her back on track.

"Right, sorry, force of habit. Any questions?" Nobody said a word, all knowing their part in the plan. "Good, we move at nightfall. I'll do a quick review of everything before we leave so we all know exactly what we're doing. Meet back here in four hours."

With that, the group dispersed. Wren noticed that Axel was acting strangely. He was normally quiet, but his behavior now was somehow more unsettling, tense. "You okay, Axel?"

Relaxing his clenched hands, Axel turned to his teammate. "Just worried."

"Hey, we've done crazier than this before," Rica reassured. That much was true.

Axel glanced over at Rachel, who had just slipped back into the corridor leading to the bedrooms. "I wonder…"

Close by, Wraith and Ash were stood planning their infiltration assault. They knew the rough layout of the facility, thanks to the combined efforts of the Chase Network and Watchdog. As expected, they were invaluable allies.

"So, guess we're on the same team, huh?" Wraith observed, sounding relieved as they examined all the information available to them.

Ash gave her a smile. "Always seems to happen that way. And I'm glad for it."

"Me too," her black and teal haired partner admitted, offering her own cheeky grin. "Someone has to drag your ass out of the fire if something happens."

"You mean, so you have _me_ around to save _your_ ass," Ash corrected, giving the other woman a quick kiss to stop her from retaliating before getting back to their planning.

Kate had returned to her medical bay to collect the necessary supplies for their journey. She suspected they would need it. Lynn was there waiting for her.

"What's going on?" the young girl asked, confused by all the activity. Something was going on, something _big_ and that worried her. Her sister seemed very tense, which only made her more concerned.

"Everyone's going to be making a move, us included," Kate replied, packing up her supplies. No doubt someone would get hurt, it was inevitable. Hopefully, nothing too serious.

Watching her sister gather together various items, Lynn muttered another question. "Are you going to be doing something dangerous?"

Kate paused, turning to look at her with a reassuring smile. "Not really, it's the others who will be taking the risk."

"Like Max?"

Sighing, Kate finished up packing and stood in front of Lynn. "Yeah, like Max. So, we have to do our best for her, be brave."

"I can do that," Lynn announced as confidently as she could, although there was a slight hint of fear in her words she couldn't hide.

Placing a hand on her younger sister's shoulder, Kate looked her straight in the eyes. "I know you can." Giving her a reassuring smile, she returned to packing up with Lynn's help. She just hoped her service wouldn't be needed.

Rachel had disappeared back to her room, reviewing what she already knew. When the individual teams had come up with a plan, she would review them and make sure they were compatible. So long as the distraction team could get as much attention as possible, this could work. Equally, it could be a total mess.

She didn't even notice Victoria follow her in until she was right next to her. "Are you sure you're okay doing this?"

Letting out a sigh, Rachel moved over to the bed and sat down on the edge. "Not like I have much of a choice. Wraith can't do this on her own and I'm the only person who can really help her. Still, voluntarily going anywhere near that place… never thought I'd see the day."

"Neither did I," the blonde assassin mumbled, feeling uneasy. Normally, she was calm and collected, but not today. Not when it involved Rachel.

Noting the sudden worry, Rachel did her best to distract her. "Cheer up, love. We'll be back before you know it."

"Please don't call me that ever again. Or I will seriously end you," Victoria threatened, the smile giving her away.

Not wanting to talk about this anymore, Rachel leaned in for a passionate kiss. Victoria was more than happy to oblige, kissing her back just as strongly. They tumbled back on the bed, making the most of the time they had left before they had to leave. Both knew what pursuing this risk could mean for them.

Meanwhile in Max's room, she and Chloe were sat on the bed, waiting. Ash and Wraith were dealing with the infiltration side of things, while Wren and Axel took responsibility for the distraction. Having too many people involved only complicated matters, so it was best to just leave them to it. Those four knew a thing or two about planning.

"For both of us wanting to keep the other out of danger, we did a pretty terrible job, huh?" Chloe mentioned, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't think we could have done that regardless of how much we tried," Max mentioned sadly. She was used to danger, but it was much harder knowing someone you cared for was in just as much, if not more.

"Yeah, I think you're right," Chloe agreed, taking hold of her hand. "Still doesn't make it any easier, though."

Max gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "It doesn't, no."

Tucking a strand of hair behind Max's ear, her fingers lingering, Chloe offered a sly smile, voice filled with flirtation. "You know, we have some time to kill before we have to head out."

"Oh, what did you have in mind?" the young mercenary asked, already having a good idea.

"This." Chloe leaned in close and pressed her lips against Max's. The two women shared a sweet and tender kiss, then another and another, each time more desperate than the last.

They had only just started out on their journey together and would _not_ let it end now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short-ish update this chapter. Tune in next time for the infiltration/distraction mission. I wonder how that will turn out for our group, hmm. Have a great day and see you again sometime mid-June probably.


	19. Two Steps Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. I had a huge writing splurge recently and got the remaining chapters written up, so I'll probably be releasing one a day for a week. No point in holding out on you guys. This chapter will be… interesting. I'll leave it at that for now :p It will jump around a little between the two teams, but hopefully it will be clear enough.

**Chapter Nineteen: Two Steps Back**

**Evening – District Nine**

As night fell, the two groups – infiltration and distraction – went their separate ways. Chloe, Wren, Axel, and Rica led the distraction, co-ordinated by Victoria with the help of the Chase Network and Watchdog. Kate was in the wings, ready to offer her assistance. On the other side of District Nine, Max, Rachel, Wraith, and Ash made up the infiltration team.

The PresCorp warehouse was on the East side, where Chloe, Rice, Wren and Axel had set up shop. They could already see PresCorp forces swarming the place, Max's fake tipoff already effective. Just as planned. All they had to do was hold out until the infiltration team had done their job, then disappear back into the shadows.

Getting the order to advance from Victoria, Chloe turned to the rest of the distraction team. "Let's make some noise."

Rica grinned, clearly excited to finally see some action. "Just try and stop me."

"A loud approach is not normally my thing, neither is it Axel's, but we shall break character for once." Wren passed a sly grin Axel's way, who returned the gesture.

They had prepared everything they could to draw attention, packed the big guns. Anything that made a loud noise, they had it. You had to spend resources to gain them. It didn't take long for a full-on gunfight to break out, starting with a vehicle explosion. The flames roared, injuring several guards. With the first move done, nobody held back.

* * *

Once in position on the West side of District Nine, hidden where they could observe the activity surrounding the building, the infiltration group waited for the signal. They had to leave it a short while, let the word spread, otherwise it would be pointless. Not too long, though.

Max began scanning the area with her cybernetically enhanced eye, mapping out the guard patrols and finding an appropriate entrance. There were enough guards to make it a challenge, not too many for it to be impossible. She also located the main command center and a few other weak points they could exploit with Rachel and Wraith's virus, one they had named BLUE PHANTOM. There had been a huge debate over the name, even before the damn virus had been started. It had driven everyone crazy.

While they waited on tenterhooks, Ash gave Max an affectionate shoulder pat. "It's been too long since we've been on a mission with you, Max."

"Damn right it has," Wraith agreed, giving her trademark roughish grin. "We've missed it."

"So have I." It felt _really_ good to be back like this, as a family. Even more so now she had some new additions.

"I think I might throw up from all the mushy shit right here." Rachel chuckled as she turned to her fellow teammates, hazel eyes scanning their faces. "You guys ready for this?"

With a newfound resolve, Max nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Following the younger girl's lead, Ash expressed her enthusiasm to get this party started. "Consider me ready."

Wraith grinned, patting a closed pouch on her belt. "I can't _wait_ to unleash this bad boy. PresCorp won't know what hit them."

"It'll be great to see our baby in action," Rachel agreed, keen to get this underway.

It had been some time since she came across someone as tech savvy as herself. Wraith was the most competent hacker she had ever come across, and she'd seen a few in her time. Not only that, but she seemed to enjoy her work. For some, it was simply a job, something to pay the bills. The virus they had created was powerful and deadly, highly contagious once activated. It was a project of pride, the primary instrument of PresCorp's destruction. If that wasn't exciting, nothing was.

With a collective nod, the four of them got into position to wait for the signal. Victoria would keep them updated, overseeing the two separate yet interconnected plans. It didn't take long for them to get the go ahead.

"I bet Chloe's loving this," Rachel muttered under her breath as she watched the gradual chaos ensue.

Max glanced over at her, nodding. "She does seem like a troublemaker."

"Sounds familiar." Ash grinned as she turned to look at Wraith.

The other woman narrowed her eyes with mild indignance. "Hey, that had _better_ not be a subtle dig at me."

Her playful anger only made Ash's grin broaden. "Of course not, _dear_."

"As cute as this shit is, I see an oncoming window," Rachel whispered, pointing out the opening.

Rachel and Wraith got to work fiddling with the camera system, putting the footage on a loop to mask their presence and also to get a good overview of the building. When the chance presented itself, the small infiltration group moved up closer to their targeted side entrance. A lot of the guards had left the area, no doubt going to suppress the distraction team. Eventually, they made it into the building without getting any unwanted attention. They ducked into a side room for the time being, some kind of maintenance closet.

"Shit's tense," Rachel breathed. "If I'm not careful, I'll get addicted to this."

"Please don't," Max pleaded. None of them needed the blonde hacker pulling a stunt like this every month, or week… or day.

"That goes for you too, Wraith," Ash was quick to add, giving her partner a stern look.

Wraith shook her head, giving her shoulder a light nudge. "I've got other ways to get my kicks."

Rachel gave her a curious look. "You'll have to hook me up."

Once they were sure the coast was clear, the four of them split up into two smaller teams. Wraith and Ash went one way, while Max and Rachel ventured down the other. The first team would deal with the virus side of things, while the latter got to work downloading as much information as they could on PresCorp's operation. They needed all the ammo they could get at this point, weak spots to target. Along the way, Rachel would also plant the virus in a few weaker spots around the facility to aid with infection. Once they had finished up and if everything went according to plan, they would all meet at a pre-decided spot somewhere between the East and West side of District Nine.

The two older women headed straight for the command center, no time to lose. After expertly dodging the remaining guards, sticking to the shadows, they made it to their destination. Wraith immediately got to work, moving as quickly as she could. This would take some time to complete, especially since they didn't want to leave any traces. Otherwise, the whole 'subtle' part of the plan would be a bust and the distraction pointless. Ash kept on look out, helping her partner where she could.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the district, the distraction group were under heavy fire. PresCorp weren't messing around. It was nothing they couldn't handle for the time being. That was the whole point of this exercise, to take the heat off the others. The distraction team threw everything they had in a sustained assault on the warehouse, keeping the bulk of PresCorp's forces pre-occupied. A hail of explosives, missiles and gunfire rained down on their enemy, keeping them at bay. As the official weapons expert of Verge, Wren had pulled out all the stops.

"Keep it up guys, you're doing well," Victoria encouraged.

She and Kate were situated away from the main battlefield, backup. They were far enough away to keep out of the fighting but close enough to provide assistance. Victoria managed to get a shot in every now and then with a sniper rifle between co-ordination, taking the heat off anyone who needed it. Kate remained vigilant, ready to move out if need be.

"How's Max's group doing?" Chloe shouted over the chaos into the concealed headset microphone.

"No complaints so far, which is a good sign," Victoria replied, sounding relieved. Maybe this would work after all.

* * *

At the synth facility, Max and Rachel moved through the corridors, silent and swift. The sooner they could get this done, the better. Staying here for too long was only tempting fate. Between them, they made light work of their task, deftly avoiding the odd patrolling guard. Most had been called over to the East side warehouse, making their job a whole lot easier. This whole thing was going pretty much without a hitch, surprisingly.

Checking they were safe for the time being, Max turned to her companion. "This brings back memories." Covert operation was the only way Max knew how to do her job. Ash had been a huge influence on that, as well as… the other Verge member, the one who had betrayed them all. Now was not the time to get distracted by old wounds.

"You done something like this before?" Rachel asked, curious to know more about Max for various reasons, mostly because of her obvious relationship with Chloe.

"Sort of," Max replied, keeping her voice low. "I specialize in stealth, so sneaking around like this is familiar."

Rachel nodded, finishing off what she was working on. "I'm more about misdirection, a hidden threat in plain sight that no-one suspects. You'd be surprised where a well-timed smile and compliment can get you." She often used her charismatic charm to get things done. It couldn't get her out of every situation, but most missions lent themselves to this tactic.

"Maybe you can charm PresCorp into submission," Max whispered half-joking.

"Not a bad backup plan. Mark Jefferson does love a good ego stroke," Rachel added, almost sounding bitter.

From the way Rachel was talking, it sounded like she knew him on a more personal level than expected. Something had happened to her, more than she was letting on. Max was dying to know what but realized this _really_ wasn't the time or place. Questions could wait.

* * *

While the infiltration team was well under way, the distraction group were doing their best to deal with PresCorp's forces. Wren had a few toys to try out, courtesy of Wraith and Rachel, to make it a fairer fight. He'd also brought along a few deployable turrets, only one of which had been destroyed beyond repair so far, and drones with mounted laser guns. If it wasn't such a desperate situation, he might have enjoyed testing out his creations. Rica managed to get her hands on a missile launcher, taking great delight in roasting a few unfortunate guards. Axel, on the other hand, was more reserved and accurate in his attacks. His aim was the steadiest out of the group, the only person ever able to compete being Max and that was because of her robotic arm. Chloe had years of experience causing chaos, so this was second nature to her. There had been a few minor cuts and scrapes, some near misses, but for the most part, the team was holding their own.

* * *

At the synth facility, Wraith was working hard to get the virus uploaded and take advantage of their position. They wouldn't get another chance to be this close to the nerve center of PresCorp's operation. Ash was mostly acting as a lookout, alerting her to any possible threats and problems. Thankfully, there was very little to worry about. Had it not been for the distraction team, that would not be true.

They were so close now, too close to fall at the last hurdle. Failure wasn't an option, not with so much at stake. They all knew what could happen if they messed this up. Nothing good. Mark Jefferson was not forgiving in the slightest and would show no mercy to anyone trying to sabotage him. It didn't take a genius to figure that much out.

"…and done. Let's get a move on," Rachel ordered as she finished the last of her alterations.

Before they headed out, Max checked in on the other two women she considered her parents. "Wraith, Ash, we're moving out."

"See you on the flip side. We'll be out in five," Ash reported back confidently.

Now, all that was left was to let the distraction team know they were nearly done. "Victoria, Rachel and I are on our way back. Wraith and Ash will follow soon."

"Meet you there," the blonde assassin replied.

With no time to lose, Max and Rachel began making their escape. The interconnecting hallways all looked the same and it seemed to take forever to traverse them. Part way around, an eerie silence fell over the facility. Maybe it was paranoia, but Max felt very uneasy. Finding it disconcerting, she glanced over her shoulder confused when Rachel was nowhere to be found. Odd, a few seconds ago the blonde hacker had been literally right there.

In her few seconds of hesitation, Max felt a sudden sharp pain in her neck. She instinctively grabbed at the spot, immediately feeling her leg give out under her. Collapsing to the floor with a loud thud, all she could do was lay there. From that moment, everything was a slow-motion blur. Muffled footsteps echoed around her, in surround sound. She could barely keep her eyes open.

"Max… oh, Max…" The distant voice was oddly familiar, made her skin crawl. "Seems that time's up for you."

Max managed to look up, spotting a figure stood over her. It took a moment to realize who it was. Electra - the leader of Vortex, aka. Verge's rivals. Her twisted smile was chilling, down to the bone. Unable to move, the young mercenary could only watch the other woman raise her pistol, pointing it directly at her head.

"Now you can go join your parents, such a lovely family reunion," Electra taunted, her grin only getting broader and more maniacal as she mocked. It sounded like she knew more than she was letting on, had answers that Max would never hear now. "Sweet dreams."

A single gunshot rang out in the otherwise quiet hallway, blood running along the metal floor like thin rivers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> …and end of chapter. Couldn't help myself :p Have a great day and see you next time.


	20. Unfinished Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. Daily updates :O Parts of this chapter will be flashbacks, put in italics to make them easier to differentiate. Get ready for a big reveal :p

**Chapter Twenty: Unfinished Business**

**District Nine, Meeting Point**

Once Wraith and Ash had finished, they let Victoria know they were on their way. They were the last to arrive at the meeting point, the distraction team already there. Kate was getting to work patching everyone up. Somehow, there had been no fatal injuries. A miracle, really.

"Where's Max? And Rachel?" Chloe asked when they returned, looking around to see if they were here.

Ash frowned, also scanning the area to find them. "Are they not back yet?"

"They said they'd meet us here soon. I can try contacting them again to see where they are," Victoria suggested, already on it.

All of them huddled together, waiting for a reply that never came. Chloe didn't like this one bit. It was happening again. The same as her dad, but… worse in a way.

* * *

**2122, Thirteen Years Ago – Neo-Seattle**

_Having spent most of her day stealing stuff, trespassing, defacing property and pissing off the rich assholes all for fun, Chloe decided it was time to go home. Her mom started asking too many questions if she was out too late, so did her dad._ _Before it got too dark, she made her way back using all the shortcuts she knew. There seemed to be something going on in the main street, armed men marching through. She had no idea why. It was rare to see so many people in this area. Best not to question or get involved._

_When she got home, she found her mom sat on the couch, her expression extremely worried._ _Shoving her bag on the floor, Chloe approached her. "Mom, what's wrong?"_

_Joyce looked up tears in her eyes. "Chloe, your father, William, he…"_

_Looking around, the young girl couldn't see her father. "Where's dad?"_

_The tears that had been welling up in her mother's eyes finally fell. "I don't know, I can't reach him. With all the soldiers outside, I'm worried. There's been some kind of rebellion, I think. I hope he hasn't gotten caught in the crossfire."_

_Unwilling to believe that possibility, Chloe shook her head. "Maybe he just went out for a while. Dad doesn't always pick up. He'll be back, I know it."_

_Her mother didn't say a word, simply taking Chloe in her arms. Deep down, they both knew that probably wasn't true._

* * *

"This… this can't be happening," Chloe muttered, trying to process all this. Without another word, she turned to leave. She _had_ to know Max and Rachel were safe. If she lost either of them, both of them…

"Where do you think you're going?" Victoria's question snapped her back to reality.

"To fucking find them, what else?" Chloe shot back angrily. Right now, she was wasting time.

Before the blue-haired punk could even take a step, Victoria grabbed onto her arm. "Now is _not_ the time. It's dangerous out there."

Shaking her off, Chloe all but growled. "I don't fucking care."

Pushing her against the nearest wall, not allowing her to leave, Victoria took charge. "Listen to me. If we go out there now, we're done for."

"So what? Who cares?" Chloe struggled, getting more and more desperate by the minute. She _needed_ to find Max and Rachel before…

"Will you _stop_ being stupid!" Victoria shouted, her grip tightening. "Don't you think I'm worried too? Everyone is."

Chloe looked around at them all. Victoria was right, they all had some relation to either Max, Rachel or both. The other Verge members looked as worried as she felt, Ash in particular.

Taking a deep breath, Victoria continued more calmly. "Before we panic, we have to come up with a plan. There's no point aimlessly wandering and getting killed. So, instead of diving face first into trouble we'll have to waste time saving you from, help me."

Swallowing hard, Chloe nodded. While it was tough sitting on her hands, Victoria was right. None of them were worth anything dead. Once they had come up with a quick plan, the group split up. Some of them stayed behind, just in case Max and Rachel came back in the meantime.

While nobody wanted to admit it, they had a _bad_ feeling about all this.

* * *

**Location and Time Unknown**

When Rachel came to, she found herself in a dark room. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out more of the room. She didn't recognize where she was at all. She tried to move her hands and feet, unable to move them. For now, she was stuck sitting. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a few faded blood splatters on the walls and floor. There was a wheeled tray in the corner, filled with all kinds of scary looking torture equipment. Wherever she was, this was _not_ good.

Before she could do or think anything else, the door opposite her creaked open. A man stepped inside, turning on a dim light to partially illuminate his face. Short brown hair, a beard, and glasses. His brown eyes zeroed in on her as he rolled up his sleeves. Rachel knew this man all too well… Mark Jefferson.

"Hello, Rachel. It's been a while, huh," he greeted as he approached her. "I'm surprised to see you, considering you're supposed to be dead."

"Can't get rid of me that easily," she replied, sounding weaker than she had wanted to. Someone had really done a number on her when they knocked her out.

"Like a cockroach," Jefferson added with a twisted grin.

Even in this situation, Rachel kept her cool. "Ouch, that hurts my feelings."

Jefferson crossed his arms, almost seeming impressed. "Even now you keep your composure, so like you."

While this seemed pretty bad, Rachel had escaped worse. "Well, you've already tried and failed to kill me multiple times, so I'm confident. Last time seemed very final, when you sent someone to kill me, remember?"

"I knew you would escape your fate somehow. Actually, I was hoping you would." He took a step closer to her, pushing his glasses up his nose as he stared down at her. "Give you a false sense of security so you would eventually make a mistake, like now. How long has it been now since you first escaped, hmm? Thirteen years."

Every day away from this vile monster had been a blessing. "The best thirteen years of my life."

Shaking his head, Jefferson looked disappointed. "Come now, after everything I've done for you and you treat me like this."

"You did _nothing_ but hurt me," Rachel shot back weakly, still feeling groggy.

Jefferson waggled his finger at her, tutting. "No, no, no, I made you who you are. Without me, you wouldn't even be here."

She had heard enough of this. "Don't make it sound like I owe you."

"Oh, but you do," he corrected. "You've been acting very ungrateful, running away like some rebellious teen."

Anger starting to overcome her, Rachel tensed. "Fuck you, dickwad."

"Language, my dear. That is no way to talk to your creator," Jefferson leaned in closer, eyes full of menace and voice low. "No matter how many emotions you show, you're still a machine. Your purpose is to obey _me_. When I ask you to kill, you do so without question. Whatever my order, you fulfill it."

"I'm more human than you, asshole," Rachel hissed through gritted teeth. She wanted nothing more than to get these restraints off and punch him within an inch of his life.

He almost seemed to pity her. "No, you're not. Underneath that skin, there is nothing organic. Metal instead of bone, wires not veins or arteries, no blood only oil." Taking a step back, he tilted his head to one side. "Anyway, I didn't come to argue. I just came to welcome you back home. See you around." With that, he left her alone in this prison cell.

She struggled against her restraint, receiving a debilitating shock when she did. It shook her to her very core, shutting down her motion system. Her body slumped to the floor, unable to do anything other than stare at the door leading to her freedom. Somehow, she would escape. She _had_ to. People were waiting on her, _counting_ on her. She couldn't leave them, not yet. Not ever. Being back in Jefferson's… 'possession', away from the people she cared for, that was her worst nightmare. As she laid there, memories flooded her mind.

* * *

**2108, Twenty-Seven Years Ago**

_Deep in the underbelly of PresCorp's synth facility, the first successful AI synth opened its eyes. After several calibrations, sensory information was quickly assembled, making it possible to process what it was seeing, complete darkness for a time. The new synth could do nothing but stare into the empty void, restrained from moving. Time passed, the synth getting used to its surroundings. Everything was new. Hours passed this way._

_Eventually, a suited man came to visit. The newly created synth scanned him, gaining as much information as it could. Anything to break the endless monotony. He smiled as he approached, like a mad scientist finally finishing his life project. His brown eyes inspecting every detail. The synth had no idea what it looked like yet, but this man seemed to like its appearance._

_After some time, the man spoke. "You, my dear, are the first of many. It's taken years to perfect synth creation, but we've managed it… and you're living proof. Because you're special, I'll give you a name. Rachel."_

_The synth now known as Rachel simply stared at the man. It could not speak its mind, carry out its will. The man had made sure of that. While it was an AI synth, capable of its own thought and emotion, he had suppressed it all._

_Right now, it was nothing more than an empty shell, a killing machine at his command._

* * *

**2122, Thirteen Years Ago**

_Rachel was now fourteen years old, not that she looked it. Jefferson had explained her appearance, personality, and name - based on a nineteen-year-old girl he used to know. He hadn't gone into any more detail, probably for the best. He seemed like the obsessive stalker/serial killer type. The other synths looked different from her, more generic and basic. A lot of effort had gone into her creation, that much she could tell. Jefferson sure seemed to think she was special -_ _the person she was based off, anyway._

_One synth she seemed to spend a lot of time around was bald, tall and muscular with ginger stubble and piercing green eyes, went by the name Axel. She had been the only one to be given an official name beyond product code. Still, he had coined the name for himself._ _He seemed different from the newer synths, not quite as zombified. More like her. He must be one of the older models. They had actually spoken once or twice, although he was a man of few words._

_Axel gave her a silent nod as was tradition when they saw each other, although it seemed more meaningful than usual. Did he know something she didn't? Before she had the chance to ask, a powerful electrical impulse surged through the facility, short-circuiting all synths inside, Rachel included. Her system shut down, taking a few moments to reboot. When it did, she felt… different, freer perhaps._

_She looked around, confused. The first synth she saw on waking was Axel. "What's going on?"_

" _The resistance," he replied simply._

_Rachel frowned, not understanding. "What?"_

" _People are fighting back. We need to leave, now." He seemed deadly serious, so Rachel didn't question further._

_The two of them sprinted through the facility, evading detection. For the first time, they left the facility as free synths. Everything looked and felt different, surroundings more vibrant and vivid. This was no time for sight-seeing. They ran, never looking back._

* * *

**2130, Five Years Ago**

_Rachel had long since left Neo-Seattle, going as far away as she could. The other side of the world. Soon after her escape, PresCorp had tightened their hold, separating the city into districts and upping security. Not able to risk capture, she had left. Of course, Mark Jefferson had not let her go quietly. He had been tracking her down relentlessly, sending his forces after her. The past eight years had been a tough struggle for her freedom, as would the rest of her life. He wouldn't ever let her go._ _Sighing, she continued walking through the dark alleyways, not sure where she was really going anymore. So long as it was away from Jefferson, she didn't care._

_In the distance, she saw a small group of people. Curious, she snuck up closer to get a better look. Whatever was going on, it looked shady as hell._ _One person, a young woman she guessed, was stood in front of a few armed guards. She seemed to be taunting them, not afraid. When one of the soldiers pulled a gun on her, she moved to disarm and tackle him to the ground. The others jumped to action, but they were no match for her. She was a dirty fighter, using any advantage she could._

_To the left, Rachel saw another figure approach, one the woman hadn't noticed. In a split second, the blonde synth had crossed the distance and smacked the assailant in the face, cracking their nose. Between them, Rachel and the mysterious woman made light work of the remaining guards._

_She finished off the last guard, searching the body for loot. "I had it covered, but… thanks anyway, I guess."_

_Rachel gave her a skeptical look. "Sure, you did."_

" _I did," the blue-haired women protested, pocketing her spoils of war before turning to face Rachel. "Not many people venture this far out of the city. What're you doing here?"_

_Seeing no reason to lie, Rachel answered with vague honesty. "On the run. I pissed some really bad people off." Understatement._

_The bluenette smiled at her, re-attaching her pistol to its holster. "Join the club." She gave Rachel a once over, seeming to consider something. "You know, I could do with some help if you want. These jerks were part of a bad crowd, like a lot of people these days. There are plenty more where they came from. You're welcome to join me on the purge."_

_Considering the proposition, Rachel shrugged. "Not like I have anything better to do."_

_The other woman held out her hand. "Name's Chloe, by the way."_

_Rachel took it, giving a firm shake. "Rachel."_

* * *

**2133, Two Years Ago**

_Rachel and Chloe had been planning to disrupt this elite party for weeks. All the bigwigs would be there and needed to be taught a lesson in humility. Causing chaos was the only way to show them they weren't in control, that they had to answer to those people they exploited on a daily basis. Rachel took the time to blend in, subtly setting and baiting the traps they had been working on. It wasn't anything sinister, just a little prank to scare them all, remind them they weren't invulnerable._

_Out of the corner of her eye, Rachel noticed a tall woman with a blonde pixie cut. She was certainly eye catching. Under different circumstances, the blonde synth would have hit on her but she had to focus. Still, she kept an eye on the other woman, tracking her movement. There was something royal about her, like she owned the place. As much as she seemed to belong there, something tipped Rachel off that she was here for a reason. She gave off that vibe only people like herself could pick up on._

" _Yo, Rach, I'm all set here," Chloe confirmed over the concealed earpiece._

_Rachel moved into a good position to watch the chaos ensue. "Good to go when you are."_

_A few seconds later, a loud boom rang out in the ballroom shaking the very foundations. Glass shattered, smoke billowed and water poured down from the ceiling, along with confetti, a nice touch. Hidden speakers relayed a message, making fun of and insulting those who had attended. The crowd dispersed in a blind panic, running like headless chickens. To them, this was a terrorist attack. In reality, there wasn't much for them to worry about. The important thing was they_ _**thought** _ _they were in danger._

" _I think this can be seen as a success," Rachel reported back to Chloe, taking a sip of her champagne as she watched them all scream the place down._

_She could hear Chloe laugh on the other end, loving the chaos. "Boom, literally. That was fucking amazing. Never gets old."_

_The blonde woman from before scanned the area, eyes zeroing in on Rachel. Before the synth could move, she had been grabbed by the arm and led away from the panicked crowd._ " _You! Look what you did!" the woman accused, glaring at her._

" _What did I do?" Rachel asked, pulling away from her._

_The woman scoffed. "Don't play dumb with me, I saw you setting this up just a second ago and you didn't even blink at that fucking explosion. You let that bastard escape! You'll pay for this."_

_Not needing any more enemies, least of all someone she suspected to be an assassin, Rachel held her hands up in surrender. "Chill out, princess. I'll help you track him back down."_

" _You'd better, or you'll take his place. Follow me, now." The blonde woman stormed off, not waiting for her._

_With no other choice, Rachel followed. "Why are you after him?"_

" _I'm an assassin. He was my target," she confirmed, sounding thoroughly pissed off._

" _Not a very good one it seems." Getting a glare off her new companion, Rachel held up her hands. "Kidding."_

" _Rach, where'd you go?" Chloe asked through the earpiece._

" _Just got to take care of some business real quick. See you back at base," Rachel replied in a hushed tone, not wanting her new assassin companion to start asking questions._

" _What are you waiting for? Come on," the woman insisted impatiently, grabbing hold of her wrist and dragging her along._

" _Don't think I got your name, princess," Rachel added as she followed the woman on a warpath._

_Sighing, she glanced over at the blonde synth. "It's Victoria, if you must know. Stop calling me 'princess' or I will end you."_

" _I'm Rachel," she offered in return._

" _Like I care," Victoria shot back, not bothering to even look at her._

_Rachel grinned at the resistance. "Ooh, feisty. I think we'll get along just fine."_

* * *

**A Couple of Hours Later**

_Between them, tracking Victoria's target had been easy. It only took them an hour or so. After the job had been completed, Rachel tried her luck with the blonde assassin. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. To her surprise, Victoria had actually been up for it. The two of them booked a room at the nearest 'hotel', using the term very loosely. It was a bar with a few small rooms on the floor above._

_Rachel hadn't wasted a second, pushing Victoria against the door as soon as it closed. The other woman kissed her back just as aggressively, already stripping off her clothes. Between the kissing and undressing, they managed to make it to the bed._

" _See, told you I'd make it up to you." Rachel grinned as her fingers wandered along bare skin._

" _Don't ruin this by talking," Victoria demanded, her voice breathy and low._

" _Yes, ma'am." Rachel would've saluted if her hands weren't already busy._

_She kissed Victoria deeply, getting to work. Over the years, she'd have a lot of experience when it came to random hook-ups. Mark Jefferson would have a heart attack if he saw her now, all the more reason to do it. Her lips left a trail, mapping out the contours of Victoria's scar marked skin. Every now and then, she was rewarded with a soft moan of pleasure, fingernails scratching at her back. Rachel watched as Victoria broke down before her, letting go all pretenses in favor of release._

_Little did they know at the time that this would lead to something much more involved and complicated._

* * *

**2134, One Year Ago**

_Rachel was stuck in a Mexican standoff, her opponent… none other than Victoria. After everything she had been through escaping PresCorp, now she had to fight someone she had come to care for more than she wanted to admit. It was almost laughable. The final insult to injury. Either way, she lost._

_She tried to keep calm and collected, ignoring the flicker of betrayal she felt. "After everything we've been through, it comes down to this. You really gonna kill me? For PresCorp, Mark Jefferson of all people?"_

_It seemed Jefferson had enough of trying to retrieve Rachel, preferring to just get her out of the way. He had been chasing her for twelve years and finally, he'd given up. For whatever reason, Victoria had taken up that particular hit, even after knowing what Rachel had been through. Maybe she was no different from any other asshole hanging around._

_The assassin didn't answer straight away, hesitating. After some time, she holstered her gun. "No, I'm not. I… I don't want you to die, so that's why I took this job."_

_Rachel frowned at her, thoroughly confused. "That makes no sense. You took a job to kill me so I could live?"_

_Conflicted, Victoria went on to explain her reasoning. "This way, I can make them think you're dead, but you actually go free. Go into hiding. It's too risky otherwise. We can't meet again, not for a while at least. In fact, maybe it's best if we just completely go our separate ways. Easier."_

_Understanding now that Victoria was trying to protect her, Rachel took a step closer and place a hand on her cheek. "I always liked a challenge."_

_Victoria pushed her back weakly. "Shit, Rachel, this is your life we are talking about, not some stupid game. It might not mean anything to you, but it means something to me, okay? Don't throw it away for fucking pride or ego. Just… go."_

_Before Rachel could say anything else, Victoria disappeared into the shadows. It would take a whole year for the two to reunite._

* * *

"Shit, why am I remembering all this now?" Rachel muttered to herself. "No time for an end of the line screen show of my life. I have to get out of here. Priorities." No matter what, she had to get back. There was too much unfinished business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A whistle stop tour of Rachel's life. So, she's a synth and Jefferson is her creator. I wonder if you guys picked up on the subtle hints peppered throughout the fic :p To draw attention to but a few examples (since it's been a while for some chapters and even I had to go back and check, lol):
> 
> \- Made, not born to be a hacker, Ch6 (literally made)
> 
> Rachel was one of, if not the most competent hackers Chloe knew. If she couldn't find anything shady, nobody could. She had a natural finesse for anything related to hacking, backed up with years of practice. It was almost like she had been born for the role. Well… born might not be the right word. Made was more fitting.
> 
> ...
> 
> \- The conversation between her and Max about the young merc's robotic arm, Ch11 (Rachel's entire body is made of metal and synthetic materials)
> 
> Rachel's brow furrowed slightly as her hazel eyes wandered down to Max's right arm. "What does it feel like to have a different arm? One that's not made of flesh and bone."
> 
> "I… haven't really thought about it much. Not recently anyway," Max replied honestly. It happened such a long time ago that sometimes she forgot. "Maybe at first it was strange, but after a while it just felt like my arm, mostly. I guess I've just gotten used to it."
> 
> "I'm surprised you would be so open about showing it off. Most people don't like to admit they have cybernetic enhancements." There was something off about the way Rachel was acting now. It was subtle but there was definitely something troubling her.
> 
> ...
> 
> \- Her hesitance and knowledge when dissecting the synth who attacked Kate's clinic, Ch14 (It'd be like you randomly poking around in another person's insides - which might be somewhat discomforting)
> 
> When they got there, it was easy to spot which bed Kate had meant. On the outside, the synth looked as human as anyone. Inside was a whole different story. "It's weird seeing inside. Kind of creeps me out." She gingerly began prodding and poking at the inner workings of the synth laid out on the bed with Max holding the mechanical body still. There was something very reluctant about her 'autopsy'. After a while, she removed her hands and sighed deeply. "This is definitely PresCorp's work. Without a doubt."
> 
> "How can you be so sure?" Max asked with a hint of disbelief. To her, all the pieces of metal looked the same. Like anybody could have made it. She couldn't pick out any distinguishing features. Then again, she hadn't spent much time looking at synth insides… and she wouldn't want to.
> 
> There was a prolonged pause as Rachel gathered her thoughts. When Max thought she might totally ignore the question, she finally answered, "I've encountered synths like this before on more than one occasion. There are… ways of identifying their origins." She grimaced as she said this, but this was only fleeting and she soon pressed on. "I had a feeling something like this might happen somewhere down the line. That's why I've been investigating the potential synth side of PresCorp. This makes things even more difficult."
> 
> ...
> 
> I'm sure there are some more dotted around, but these are the main ones I can remember off the top of my head. Had to draw Max's fate out just a little longer ;)


	21. Blast from the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. So, I've toyed with you enough with Max's fate, so this chapter will cover the aftermath of that particular confrontation.

**Chapter Twenty-One: Blast from the Past**

**2127, Eight Years Ago**

_Max's birthday was coming up very soon, only a week away. She'd finally be eighteen. For a time, it seemed unlikely she would even make it past her early teens, not after her parents disappeared. She owed her survival entirely to Verge. Without them, she would be dead. No doubt about that. There was only so long a thirteen-year-old girl could have lived on the streets in Neo-Seattle. She had spent most of her life in that city and didn't really understand its darker side until she was forced to live it. For some unlucky kids and adults, that was their day-to-day reality._

_She sighed, lounging around on the couch. Their temporary HQ was pretty cozy. Since they moved around a lot, it wasn't worth getting too comfortable in any one place. For them, home wasn't a place, it was their group. So long as they were together, that was enough. Speaking of her adoptive family, she was sure they were planning something big to celebrate her birthday. Anything for a party, especially were Wraith was concerned. While Max loved her dearly, thought of her as a parent, she was an obnoxious drunk. Wren too could get surprisingly rowdy, weird since he was normally so reserved. Maybe it ran in their family, since they were actually half-siblings. Blood relation didn't matter all that much, though._

_It was then that Max noticed a shadow leave the building, disappearing into the night. Curious, she followed it. If someone was sneaking around their base, the others should know. They had a few enemies. Still, it wasn't worth worrying the others yet. Unless she knew it was actually something, or someone, dangerous. Decisively, she tailed the figure keeping her distance. After some time, the shadow stopped and Max hid out of sight. Squinting, she could just about make out another person, well several. They were all armed, ready to fire._

" _Ah, Alecto, glad you could join us." Max's eyes went wide hearing the name, also recognizing the person speaking. What was Alecto doing here? Why was she meeting with the leader of Vortex, Electra? They were from rival mercenary gangs. It made no sense._

_Alecto remained silent, making it impossible for Max to deduce what was going on. When she did finally start talking, it was much too quiet to hear from where the young mercenary was hiding. She needed to get closer. Slowly and silently, she crept forward not daring to breathe._

_Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the air, a white blinding flash and ringing sound accompanying it. Pain shot through Max's arm and the right side of her face, a scream escaping from her lips. It was excruciating, like nothing she had ever experienced before. Everything was muffled and distant. Too much to bear she passed out, plunged into darkness._

_When she regained consciousness once more, she tried opening her eyes. Her right one didn't respond to her request, leaving her in the dark. A sudden sharp pain jabbed at her head, making her face crumple up._

" _Ugh, my head…" She went to grab her head with her right arm, confused when she felt nothing. When she looked down, she got a shock. Where her arm had once been, now there was only a bandaged stump. Cold fear ran through her veins, nothing making sense._

" _Max, calm down," a soothing voice commanded, taking control before the young girl hyperventilated._

" _What happened?" Max asked croakily, turning to see Ash sat beside, the mercenary leader looking so much older all of a sudden._

" _Alecto happened," Ash replied, her expression filling with murderous intent. Max wracked her brain, trying to remember. The last thing she could recall was… "She betrayed us, Max. Got you hurt, caught in a fucking explosion of all things. I'll never forgive her, not for as long as I live and even after that. Don't worry, though. We'll get you patched up."_

_Looking down at her missing arm again, feeling really weird, the extent of her injuries became clear. "How?"_

" _Simple, get you a new arm…" Ash gently moved her fringe, exposing the bandaged side of her face, "and eye. Whatever the cost. Think of it as a birthday present."_

" _Isn't that going to be crazy expensive?" Max asked hesitantly. Replacing limbs and eyes was not cheap, far from it. Sure, Verge made a decent profit but… even they had their limits._

" _It will, but you're worth every chip, little one," Ash pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, taking the remaining hand in hers. "No question."_

_For the first time in years, the fearless mercenary leader cried. Max was her daughter, and she had been hurt by someone she should have been able to trust. A family member. Of course, Ash felt responsible. She should have been there to protect Max, taken the bullet for her._

_As the tears dried she made a vow, to herself, to her family, to Max most of all: Alecto would_ _**not** _ _get away with this betrayal._

* * *

With a soft groan, Max's eyes opened. Her vision was blurry, body aching. She felt like she had been hit by a truck and left on the side of the road in burning heat. All she could do was move her eyes, take in her surroundings. The room was small, almost claustrophobic. Every inch of space was covered with various lotions and potions, some of which looked lethal. They bubbled and hissed menacingly, sometimes shifting from a toxic green or blue to deathly black. _Definitely_ not fit for human consumption. Others seemed to be of the healing variety, a light golden elixir or warm colored tonic that smelled faintly of citrus.

"Finally awake, are you? About time," an unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke, catching her attention. It sounded distorted, electronic.

Turning her head slightly, Max noticed someone standing over by the door. They were covered head to toe in loose, dark clothing, the only visible part being their eyes and the dark skin around them. One of the brown eyes was tinged with red, faintly glowing, suggesting cybernetic enhancement. There was a long scar running down the eye, partially covered by a face mask and hood.

"Wh…?" Max's voice was raspy, throat dry. The words refused to leave her throat, making her cough instead. She felt so pathetic and vulnerable right now.

The mystery person grabbed a bottle from a nearby counter, pouring a quarter-glass of translucent purple liquid before mixing it with a dash of golden tonic. "Wouldn't bother trying to talk or move yet. That stuff they injected you with was supposed to bring you to the brink of death, make whatever time you had left overwhelmingly painful. Would've killed you eventually. Fortunate enough for you, I know a few things about antidotes and medicines."

This was all still very confusing for the young mercenary. The last thing she remembered… a sharp pain in her neck, Electra pointing a gun at her face, a gunshot… She had been convinced she was dead, yet here she was. Alive, as far as she could tell.

"Here, drink," the other person in the room demanded, thrusting the concoction towards her. "Tastes like shit, but it'll help."

Max stared at the glass, watching the golden tendrils swirl amongst the lilac. While the shimmering liquid looked pretty, she had no idea what it even _was_. Maybe she shouldn't drink this, not until she knew what was in it. For all she knew, this person was trying to kill her. While this liquid wasn't as ominous as the bubbling green potions of death, that didn't mean a single thing.

Noticing the hesitance, her companion let out a short, sharp laugh. "What, worried its poison? Oh, please. If I wanted to kill you, I would have left you to your fate. You would be dead without me. Doesn't make sense to help if I wanted you dead. A total waste of time, energy and resources."

That was a fair point. Swallowing her apprehension, Max took a huge gulp almost coughing again at the bitter taste. Everything in her screamed to spit it out, but she didn't. Instead, she drank it all. Already, she was starting to feel better, her throat not quite as sore and body less achy. Maybe it was all in her head, and maybe the tonic had genuinely worked.

"What was that?" Max asked, finally finding her words again.

"My own blend of medicinal herbs and extracts," the stranger replied simply, putting the now empty glass on the side. "Some people pay decent money for it, so consider yourself lucky."

Now that Max could think clearly, or clearer at least, she wondered why they were helping. "Why are you doing this, helping me? You don't know me."

"Let's just say, I have personal reasons and leave it at that," the stranger replied, evading the question. "All you need to know is whoever tried to shoot you, they took a bullet to the shoulder instead of firing one into your head. You're welcome, by the way."

Even more confused, the young mercenary pressed for further detail. "Who are you? Why were you even there?"

"Does it matter?" Again, the mysterious stranger avoided giving a proper answer.

Realizing it was pointless asking for personal information, she settled on a more general topic. "Okay, well can you tell me where we are at least?"

"District Nine, under the radar," they responded simply, checking a few of the bottles and vials scattered around the room.

Max sighed, frustrated at the vague responses. "How long have I been out for?"

The hooded stranger glanced over their shoulder. "Maybe a month or so."

"A _month_?!" Max all but shouted. A whole month. That was crazy. What had happened in that time? Did Wraith and Ash make it back? Where was Rachel? Was Chloe…? Not knowing was torture.

"That's what I said, yes." Rolling their eyes, the stranger began mixing a new potion together. "Do you always ask this many questions?"

"When I don't know what's going on, yeah." Max _had_ to know what had happened while she was out for the count, and fast.

Swirling the now orange liquid, her companion put the vial down and leaned against one of the crammed counters. "You want to know what's going on, fine. PresCorp have Neo-Seattle on lock down. Increased security and patrols, which I assume has something to do with you. Whatever you did, you spooked 'em good, kid… and everyone else is suffering for it." They let out a deep sigh, sounding wistful. "Hasn't been this bad for thirteen years."

If that was true, all the more reason for Max to get up and search. "I have to find my family and friends."

"I wouldn't bother," the stranger stated matter-of-factly. "If they have any sense, they will have moved on or gone into hiding by now. If they are still alive, that is. Either way, you won't find them without putting yourself at risk."

Even considering death as an option… Max couldn't think like that. Not now. "Look, I _need_ to find them. This isn't a choice for me."

"Isn't it?" they asked, crossing their arms and letting an uncomfortable silence fill the room. "Well, I can't stop you. It's your life."

If Max was going to do this, she would need help. "I know this is asking a lot after everything you've done for me, but… I need help."

"You want my help on a suicide mission," the stranger summarised, looking at her like she was truly crazy. "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place. Sign me up."

Sensing she was fighting a losing battle, Max pressed harder. "I have no idea where to even begin. Surely, you must know more than me."

The masked stranger narrowed their eyes at her insistence. "If you have any sense, you'll give up on this. If not, well, I might know some places for you to start. There are some underground settlements I trade with. Medicine is in high demand."

"Can you take me to them?" she asked, not all that confident she could swing it her way.

"Shit, girl, it's all take with you," they muttered under their breath just loud enough for Max to hear.

"Please. I'll do whatever you want, just… help me one more time." Max was practically begging now. She needed to know everyone was okay, Chloe especially.

"I think I liked you better when you couldn't speak." Shaking their head, the hooded stranger sighed in resignation. "If it gets you to stop whining, fine. I don't need another headache. We move at dawn." With that, the figure left a tray with a bowl of steaming stew and cup on the side table and returned to mixing up tonics.

Sitting up, Max began to eat. Surprisingly, it didn't taste all that bad. All she could do for the time being was rest up. From the sounds of it, she would need to keep her strength up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course Max ain't dead. Would I really do that? Maybe, but not this time at least. Have a great day and see you next time.


	22. Family Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. Will Max manage to find Chloe and the others? Who is this mysterious stranger and why did they go out on a limb to save her? Find out below.

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Family Reunion**

**District Nine – Underground Settlement Three**

Chloe sat on the edge of one of the makeshift beds, staring blankly at the floor. There were a few people sleeping around her, others curled up hugging themselves. More came every day to hide from PresCorp. Everyone was scared, for themselves and for the people they cared for. Many had lost loved ones, orphaned in some cases. As for Chloe herself, well, Max and Rachel were still missing. She hadn't given up, and she never would. She just couldn't.

"Here." The voice made Chloe look up to see Victoria passing a bottle her direction.

Silently, the blue-haired punk took the bottle she was offered and took a sip. Even after a month, they had gotten nowhere. PresCorp were gaining force every day, rounding people up and terrorizing them. It was worse than before, and that didn't seem possible. Worse still, they seemed justified thanks to the 'terrorist' attack, aka their distraction effort. All this was totally fucked.

Taking a seat beside Chloe, the blonde assassin sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "How are you doing today?"

The bluenette shrugged. "Same as always."

"Me too," Victoria mumbled, looking as tired as Chloe felt.

They hadn't spoken much about either Max or Rachel since… since they disappeared. Chloe suddenly felt compelled to ask her opinion on their fate. "Do you think…?"

"That Max and Rachel are alive?" Victoria finished the question for her. "I'd like to think so. They seem resourceful enough to survive pretty much anything. If nothing else, I need to keep believing they are. Otherwise…"

"Yeah, I hear you." Chloe felt the same way. She needed _something_ to hope for now, something to fight for.

"If they're alive, which I'm sure they are, they'll find us somehow," Victoria stated confidently.

On the other side of the settlement, the remaining Verge members were planning a scouting mission. Resources were scarce and difficult to obtain. Since they had a good range of skills, they had all volunteered to do the food runs and guard the settlement. Max being MIA had hit the group hard. They had lost a friend and family member – for Ash and Wraith a daughter. Still, they had to keep going, had to keep trying and waiting. It was all they could do, all any of them could do.

Wait for Max and Rachel to come back.

* * *

**Dawn**

Max and her mystery savior had planned a route. They had packed a few things, some tonics and weapons. Thankfully, the young mercenary's healer had managed to save her sniper rifle, Reaper. That was something at least. Something told her that she would need the gun somewhere down the line. She still felt a bit groggy, but there was no time to delay. The longer she left it, the less likely she would find her family and friends.

The pair entered in through a sewer gate, Max's companion taking the lead. "Closest one is about a ten-minute journey from here. Next one's a little further, but we can travel underground between them. Last one's on the other side of District Nine."

"People have been hiding down here for a whole month?" Max asked, not wishing these living conditions on anyone. District Nine was bad enough above ground.

They glanced over their shoulder, continuing to walk. "Some. Most came part way through when things really started getting bad."

Silence passed between them as they pressed ahead until Max broke it. "So, you're on your own?"

"What does it look like to you?" her companion replied, sounding frustrated by the incessant barrage of questions.

"Just trying to make conversation," Max muttered under her breath.

They took a moment to compose themselves, sighing. "I used to have people, a long time ago. Didn't last."

"Sorry to hear that."

Clearly not ready to provide more detail, the hooded stranger returned the attention. "You said you have people to find, who?"

"My family for one, my friends and…" the young mercenary paused, trying to think how she would categorize Chloe. "I guess you could call her my girlfriend. It might be too earlier to call her that, though."

That seemed to amuse the stranger. "Girlfriend, huh? What's she like? How'd you meet?"

"Well, funny you should ask that. I was, uh, supposed to… I was hired to get rid of her, if you catch my drift, by PresCorp no less." There wasn't much point hiding things now. This person, whoever they were, had saved her. They deserved a little trust.

Her companion nodded, taking it all in. "Guess a lot of shit happened in between meeting her and now."

"Something like that. Anyway, she's mischievous and sometimes hot-headed. Still, she makes me smile, more than I thought possible." Max's voice broke, her worry increasing. God, she needed to find Chloe.

They didn't speak for some time, finally replying. "I won't make empty promises, but… we'll try to find her, and the others you're looking for."

"Thanks."

That was the last word they spoke until they made it to the first underground settlement. Between them, they searched the entire place and asked everyone they could… no dice. A little disheartened, they pressed forward to the next. Again, nothing.

"There's one more up ahead," the stranger reassured. "If they aren't here, well, there are other places you could look. More difficult to get to, but they are around."

When they came up to the third settlement's border, Max squinted. The people standing by the gate seemed… vaguely familiar. It might be her eyes and mind playing tricks on her, giving in to the desperation, but… As they approached, her suspicions were confirmed.

"Axel…" The word was barely out of her mouth before she went into a full-on sprint.

Her brother in arms was startled by the sudden running, guarded until he realized who it was. When he did, he ran to meet her and scooped her up in his arms. "Oh, Max. It's you. Really you."

Tears rolled down Max's cheeks as she hugged him, her arms not even close to encompassing his muscular frame. They stayed like that for a few moments before Axel returned her to solid ground.

A million questions raced through her mind, all needing answers. "Are the others here?"

He nodded, putting his hand on her shoulder. "They are, yes. The rest of Verge are out now, but they should be back fairly soon."

"And Chloe?" Max asked, her heart in her throat.

Axel gave a knowing smile. "Follow me."

Feeling nervous now, Max followed him. At least that meant Chloe was alive. They had both made it somehow. A miracle. After some time, they came to a row of sorry excuses for beds. Max could already see the familiar flash of blue, feeling a wave of relief.

"Chloe… oh, Chloe…" Her call made Chloe's head snap up to investigate.

"Max?" The young mercenary was nearly knocked clean off her feet as the blue-haired punk sprinted towards her, pulling her into a bone crushing hug. "I thought…"

Returning the hug, Max whispered, "So did I. You have no idea how g-" Before she could finish her sentence, Chloe was kissing her.

More than happy to go along with it, Max kissed her back. She could taste the salty tears of relief as they rolled down her cheeks, mingling with Chloe's. It felt different from before. When they pulled apart, the blue-haired punk cupped Max's cheeks with her hands, ran them down to her shoulders, checking she was actually here.

Barely keeping it together, Chloe took a deep breath to steady herself. "I fucking missed you, Max. Where were you? You've been gone for a whole month."

"I got drugged at the synth facility, nearly shot. Someone saved me." Max glanced over her shoulder, just about making out her companion in the shadows.

Chloe's eyes followed hers before reconnecting with Max's. "Do you know where Rachel is?"

Not expecting that question, Max shook her head. "Rachel? No, last time I saw her, we were running to escape and she suddenly disappeared. Then I got ambushed."

"I see…" the bluenette sighed. "She's still missing, Max."

"Oh… we'll find her, somehow," Max reassured, determined to get them all back together.

"Damn right we will," Victoria asserted, approaching them. She had hung back, letting Max and Chloe have some time to themselves.

Max smiled at the blonde assassin, giving her a brief hug. "Victoria, it's good to see you."

When they pulled apart, Victoria nodded managing a warm smile of her own. "Surprisingly, it's good to see you too."

Looking around, Max tried to find the medic of their group. "Where's Kate?"

"Where do you think she is?" Victoria motioned over to the distant left, towards some makeshift partitions. "On the medical frontline, in her element. She's busy now, halfway through an operation, but you can go see her soon."

As Axel had predicted, it didn't take long for the rest of Verge to return, all stopping in their tracks when they saw someone they had half believed to be dead. It was rare to find the group speechless, yet here they were without words.

"Is that…?" Ash's question hung in the air unfinished as she stared at the young mercenary.

Max offered an awkward wave, only able to imagine how weird and unexpected this was for them. "Hey, guys."

In a split second, they were all on her in a tight group hug. Axel hung back, already getting that out of his system. Eventually, they let her go.

"Shit, you've always been a tough SOB, Max." Wraith sounding equal parts relieved and impressed.

"And been good at hide and seek, well, the hiding part," Rica added with a watery grin.

Wren's lip quirked into a reserved smile. "We all knew you would find your way back eventually."

"What happened?" Ash asked, desperate for more detail.

"I was drugged and almost killed by Electra. Someone saved me." Max pointed over to her savior, who was still hidden in the shadows. They seemed reluctant to step into view for some reason.

"Whoever you are, come out. Now," Ash ordered, body tense and voice harsh.

Sighing, Max's mysterious companion took a step forward into the dim light. A flicker of recognition entered Ash's eyes, growing from shock to confusion to… anger. "You."

The hooded figure met the older woman's death glare. "Hello, sister."

"Alecto…" Ash's jaw tightened as she stared the other woman down. Without warning, she lurched forward and tackled her. Before Alecto could react, Ash ripped off the hood and mask, glaring at the person she saw underneath before she began hitting her. "Fuck you, I'll kill you!"

"Ash, wait," Max begged, confused by all this. Alecto was the one who had betrayed them all, got her hurt, and yet… she had nursed Max back to health. It didn't add up. Something wasn't right here.

Wraith was the one to pull Ash off, holding her back. "Ash, calm down."

"Don't you fucking tell me to calm down! This fucker almost _killed_ Max! She has to pay!" Ash screamed like a caged animal, struggling against the vice-like hold.

Refusing to let go, Wraith tightened her grip on her partner, who was beside herself with rage. Eventually, Ash ran out of steam, voting to glare instead. Alecto remained silent, waiting to see how this messed up family reunion would play out. Ash was her younger, biological half-sister on their father's side. Seeing her so filled with hatred hit hard. It never used to be that way.

With Wraith still restraining her, Ash turned to the youngest member of Verge. "Max, come on. Why are you fine with this?!"

Maybe 'fine' wasn't the right word to use here. This was all so complicated and she needed answers. The only person who could give those answers was Alecto. "She saved me, Ash. Without her, I would be dead right now."

"That doesn't make what she did before right," Ash growled through gritted teeth.

"You don't even know what I did," Alecto finally spoke, her voice calm and collected.

Now that Max had a better look at the other woman's face, she saw just how many scars and burn marks there were, so many more than before. She felt a brief pang of pity, realizing that she must have been living pretty rough since leaving Verge. She had once considered Alecto her family, even after all these years that was a tough mentality to shake free from.

Ash's face darkened considerably, hatred increasing in her normally friendly eyes. "I do. You betrayed us, got Max hurt. I can _never_ forgive you for that."

"I got Max hurt, yes," Alecto agreed, sounding very guilty about that truth, "but I didn't betray any of you."

Wraith frowned, thoroughly confused. "What do you mean?"

Hesitating as she gathered her thoughts, Alecto finally replied. "Yes, I did meet up with Electra and yes, I should have told you. However, I had a very good reason and I didn't mean for Max to get hurt. She got caught in the middle."

The group glanced at each other, silent while they considered this. For so long, they had been convinced of Alecto's betrayal. Maybe there was more to it, and maybe she was bullshitting. Either way, if they didn't hear her out, they would never know. Chloe and Victoria remained silent throughout. This didn't really involve them. Still, it took a lot for Chloe to sit on her hands when the person who had hurt and possibly betrayed Max was so close.

Breaking the stalemate, Max asked the question on all their minds. "Why did you meet her?"

Eyes turning sad, Alecto began to explain the circumstances behind her meeting with the leader of Vortex. "I… I found out that Electra was the one who killed your parents, Max. Well, she was hired to."

That statement hit Max like a punch to the gut, totally winding her. "What?"

"How do we know you're not bullshitting to save yourself?" Ash shot back, highly skeptical of anything that came from her sister's mouth.

"I guess you can only take my word on it," Alecto responded simply, knowing that she had no real way to prove it for the time being.

Swallowing, Max pressed for more information. "Who hired her?"

Alecto exhaled deeply, staring directly at the younger mercenary. "Who do you think?"

It only took a second for Max to put two and two together. The look Alecto was giving her said it all. "PresCorp."

The older woman nodded solemnly. "PresCorp."

"How did you find out? And why didn't you tell us?" Wren asked, his eyes and attention focused solely on their ex-member.

Here, she seemed more reluctant to divulge information, hesitant. "You know, I knew Vanessa and Ryan Caulfield. They were part of an attempt to break PresCorp's hold thirteen years ago. Needless to say, it didn't go well. They… they were killed in the fighting. Lots of people were. I knew they had a daughter and got everyone to search for her – which explains how you joined the group, Max."

This was so much to take in for the young mercenary. The answers she had been searching for ever since her parents disappeared. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Guilt crossed Alecto's features as she answered. "It wasn't a nice memory, Max. I wanted to forget. I'm sorry I kept it from you. Anyway, I was searching for their killers on my own and found a lead. A few other people were murdered, PresCorp finally caught up with them. Took a while to follow up, but it led to Vortex, to PresCorp. I didn't want to put Max in any more danger, she'd want to go after her parent's killers herself. So, I met with Electra to kill her, but… things didn't go as planned."

"Shit…" It had all been an accident. Max wasn't _supposed_ to be there, she just got caught in the crossfire.

Giving them all a moment to process this, Alecto continued. "I didn't get the chance to explain myself. Vortex has been chasing me down ever since that time. They sure can hold a grudge. I holed up in Neo-Seattle when I heard you guys might be there, managed to track you down. I've been helping behind the scenes."

"Well, damn," was all that Rica could manage. For someone so chatty, she had very few words to say now.

"For all these years, we've hated you," Wren muttered, voice filled with regret.

"Can't really blame you," Alecto replied simply.

Wraith shook her head, sighing. "You've always been the stubborn lone wolf type."

Axel said nothing, just looking at their ex-family member. He could tell she was being straight with them, he was pretty good at reading people. For some time he had suspected there was more to Alecto's betrayal, and he had been right. Ash continued to stare her sister down, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. If it was true, she had been angry and bitter for nothing.

It was Chloe who broke the silence. "My dad went missing around the same time. William Price. Do you know if…?"

Alecto looked at her, eyes filling with sympathy. "Ah, William was a friend of the Caufields, part of the effort. I'm sorry, but… he was murdered, too. Not straight away. He managed to escape PresCorp's wrath for a time. Actually, his death was one of the first leads I mentioned. Opened up the door to an investigation."

Chloe swallowed back her tears. "Thank you. I… needed to know either way. Get some closure."

"I've always been the bearer of bad news. Seems to be my role in life," Alecto muttered to herself. "Electra is still out there, I only managed to wound her when I saved Max. I had bigger priorities than getting revenge. That bastard Jefferson is still around, too. What will you all do?"

With this new information, there was only one choice for Max. "We can't give up now."

"No, we can't," Chloe agreed for similar reasons.

"Your forces are weakened and you have no plan," Alecto reminded, trying to bring some rationality to this. Max had nearly died once before and that was when they had a plan and the firepower to back it up.

Wraith was the first to respond to this. "For now, yes. Shouldn't be too hard to find some allies around here."

Victoria nodded, speaking for the first time in a while. "The Chase Network and Watchdog are still around, in hiding but around. I still have a few other contacts, too. And _plenty_ of blackmail material."

Next up was Wren. "There are some people I suspect we have not called upon. Last resorts, backup plans."

"We don't leave things unfinished," Rica insisted, adding her own opinion into the mix. Now things were _personal_.

Ash looked at them all, saw their resolution. Swallowing her pride, she turned to Alecto. "What will you do, sister?"

"Me? I have a personal reason for seeing this through to the bitter end. Several, in fact." Vortex and PresCorp had hurt her family one too many times.

"Then it's settled," Axel announced.

They all nodded, determined to finish what they had started… taking PresCorp down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the gang is back together, mostly and we've learned more about the "betrayal". Stay tuned to find out how their second chance goes. Is failure inevitable or will they successfully persevere?


	23. No Regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, welcome back. We are nearing the end now, so thanks for reading up to this point and enjoy the remaining chapters.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: No Regrets**

With everyone in agreement, Max decided to go and find Kate. Victoria had told her she should be done any time now and directed her on where to head. Peering behind the partition, she could see Kate cleaning up from her latest operation.

"Kate. Lynn," Max called out when she saw them.

They both turned around, confused for a time. "Max… you're here." Not wasting any time, Kate launched herself at Max for a hug. She wasn't the only one. Lynn was there too, hugging her just as tightly.

"I am," Max managed, her voice breaking slightly. It felt so good to be back.

When they finally broke apart, Kate's hazel eyes filled with worried curiosity. "What happened to you?"

Max explained her situation for the umpteenth time, summarizing her run in with Electra and being saved by Alecto – the full version. It was a crazy, whirlwind story. The more she repeated it, the more she realized just how lucky she was to be alive.

"We missed you," Lynn said when she came to the end of her retelling.

Gathering the other two into a hug, Max whispered back. "I missed you guys too, but I'm back now. For good."

"Let's get you examined." That wasn't a request but a demand. The blonde doctor all but dragged Max over to a free space, forcing her down and getting to work. After some time, she had run through every single check she could think of. "Surprisingly, you're fine."

"I had Alecto taking care of me. She's always been good with her medicines," Max mentioned as Kate worked. "I feel a bit stupid not realizing it was her, but I was still pretty out of it and I haven't seen her in ages, that and she was really covered up."

Taking a step back, Kate gave her a tired smile. "You'll have to send her my way. Lord knows I could use the help. I thought the clinic was busy, but this…"

Curious to know how the others had ended up here, Max asked, "What happened with you guys?"

Sitting down beside her friend, Kate explained their journey. "After the infiltration-distraction effort, we tried to find you and Rachel. We didn't get far before PresCorp forces started rolling in. It was… horrible, Max. People screaming and running for their lives. We hid in the old sewer system, other people did too. Gradually, it turned into this." She motioned to the area with her hand.

Max followed her motion, scanning the settlement. "This place is kind of amazing."

"Proof that people don't give up," Kate mentioned with a sad smile.

That statement led nicely into another topic. "Speaking of, none of us are going to let PresCorp get away with this. I talked with them all."

Kate's expression turned resolute. "Neither can I, Max. Not after everything they've done. Look, I… know some people who might be able to help. A resistance group. They've been planning for a few years now, waiting for the right opportunity. I've helped them on several occasions and they hate PresCorp, too. Should be the perfect allies. I suspect they know a few others who would be willing to help as well."

Giving her a grin, Max nudged her shoulder. "Look at you, Kate Marsh. And you thought you wouldn't be useful."

"I did tell her too," Lynn chimed in.

Kate shook her head, ruffling her younger sister's hair. "People are always getting hurt. I'll get in touch with them and see what they say."

Just then, Wren entered the makeshift clinic and his amber eyes settled on the young mercenary. "Max, can I have a word?"

Glancing at Kate, who gave her a nod, Max stood and followed him to a more secluded spot. "Sure, what's up?"

He looked around to check they were relatively alone before answering. "I think I know someone who can help us in this… my mother."

"Wait, your mother?" Max had heard a few things about Wren and Wraith's mother before. She didn't sound like the type to help with something like this, or at all.

"I didn't tell Wraith but… she contacted me recently," he divulged, keeping an eye out for eavesdroppers. "Those two are too alike and she knew it, stubborn as hell. I think she'll help if we ask. She seems…" he pauses, trying to find the right word, "different from before. Still a big ol' mean bastard, but guilty for basically abandoning us. Maybe it's because she's older now, had time to reflect."

At this point, they had to try every avenue. "Guess it can't hurt. You should tell Wraith first."

Wren smiled slightly, letting out a soft chuckle. "I know. That'll be a fun conversation."

"I don't envy you there." Wraith had an explosive temper sometimes. "Good luck."

He nodded, leaving to find his half-sister. Now that she had met with Kate, Max wanted to have a proper chat with both Chloe and Victoria. She decided to tackle the blonde assassin first. She was stood by a makeshift feeding station, watching over the ration queue. With someone like her around, nobody even dared complain. Probably why they put her on duty here.

Once spotted, Max approached her. "Hey, Victoria. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

Taking her eyes off the queue, she shrugged. "Could be worse. Could be much better. I'm just worried for Rachel."

Max leaned against the wall next to her. "You guys seem close."

A wave of melancholy crossed Victoria's face. "In a weird way, yes. We met under strange circumstances and things just got weirder from there. I guess you're no stranger to that, though."

"I'm well acquainted with the weird and wonderful by now. We'll get Rachel back," Max reassured, wholeheartedly believing that.

"One way or another." Her expression darkened then, making a few people in the queue shuffle awkwardly. "I'm not stopping until she's safe and sound, and Jefferson is fucked."

Scanning the area for a flash of blue, not finding anything, Max focused back on Victoria. "On a slightly different note, have you seen Chloe?"

"I have a feeling she snuck out. There's a building near here I think she goes to a lot. She just can't help herself, huh?" After getting more specific directions from Victoria, Max went to go find her.

It was a little risky sneaking out, but she couldn't let Chloe wander off on her own. Not after everything they had been through to get here. It didn't take long to find the abandoned building. Thankfully there were only a few guards patrolling the streets. Heavily armed guards, she noted. Jefferson wasn't messing around.

Since she couldn't get in the front door, she had to climb through a broken window. Checking the first floor, she ventured upstairs. Systematically investigating each room, Max moved through the house. She had to be careful, just in case. When she entered what appeared to be a bedroom, someone collided with her. They tumbled to the floor in an undignified heap, Max underneath.

Lo and behold, Chloe had been the one to tackle her, knife drawn. When she realized who she had wrestled to the ground, she let out a sigh. "Holy shit, Max. You scared me."

Max's heart was racing in her chest. "Not as much as you did me."

Helping her up, Chloe sat on the bed in the corner. The metal frame was rusted and the mattress thin. "Guess that makes us even on the whole 'sneak up and tackle' front."

The young mercenary joined her, remembering the time she had decked Chloe for sneaking up on her in the hallway soon after Victoria had joined the group. "I guess so."

They were silent for a while before the blue-haired punk spoke up again. "I suppose you're going to ask me why I'm out here."

"I am a little curious, yes," Max admitted.

"I used to come here a lot as a kid, especially after… my dad went missing, and it became a hideout for me and Rach when we moved back to Neo-Seattle a couple years ago." She faltered saying the name of her missing friend, clearing her throat before she continued. "Spent a lot of time in here. It feels like a safe zone."

"You used to live in Neo-Seattle?" Max asked, curious to know more about her.

Chloe nodded at the question. "Yeah, Rachel too. Guess there's no point hiding it now. Max, she's a synth. A PresCorp synth. She managed to escape with your friend Axel, around the same time our parents were battling it out with those bastards at PresCorp from what I've gathered. Jefferson seems to have some weird obsession with her, so I think she's still alive. We have to get her back."

Somehow, that made sense. The questions about Max's robotic arm, her reluctance to dissect that synth who had attacked Kate's clinic and her knowledge of its origins, some of the things Rachel said, the reason why Chloe had been to a synth bar before. There had been subtle hints throughout.

"We will, Chloe," Max promised, resolute.

"When I get my hands of that fucker, he's going to pay for all he's done." Letting out a shaky breath, confliction entered Chloe's blue eyes. "Max, I… losing you once before was a real eye-opener. I don't want to have any regrets, not anymore."

Max placed a hand on her cheek, looking her straight in the eyes. "Neither do I."

No more prompting was needed. Chloe leaned in for a kiss, one Max met. Both of them almost losing one another had majorly reset their priorities. Hands tugged at clothing, gently demanding removal. Now might not be the best time or place for this. Then again, did such conditions exist? Not for them, not now. They could die tomorrow for all they knew, a distinct possibility – they'd already had a few near misses. No more regrets.

Their eyes met for a moment, conveying a non-verbal message. Briefly breaking the kiss, Max lifted her arms over her head, letting Chloe help her out of her top and then returning the favor. Before long, they were naked from the waist up, each taking the time to examine newly exposed skin with eyes, hands, and mouths. Tracing scars and gliding over toned muscles. Heart rates increasing, bodies tingling and warm, hands shaking from adrenaline, whispered reassurances and permissions.

Soon, there were no barriers between skin, clothes completely discarded. Continued exploration, the heat rising, breath shallow and breathy. Soft sounds of approval and demands for more, some silent through body language, others not. Anything too loud was swiftly muffled by kisses, each very aware of their precarious position, how out in the open they were. One final muffled cry of release and the silence returned, only broken by light panting.

They laid there, arms and legs tangled as they caught their breath, occasionally kissing anywhere they could reach, forehead, cheek, lips, hands, arms, neck. No words were exchanged, there was no need.

* * *

**Sometime Later**

Max's eyes opened, her surroundings dark and unfamiliar. It took her a moment or two to remember why she was here, and who she was with. Beside her, Chloe was asleep with her arms wrapped around the young mercenary. Their clothes were in a tangled mess on the floor, where they had been thrown earlier. Feeling a little self-conscious now, Max bit her lip. This was the last thing she had been expecting when she set off after Chloe earlier. She didn't regret it, not one bit.

Chloe's skin was just as covered in scars as she was, a challenge for sure. Max began to gently trace the tattoo on her arm, following the pattern. As she was doing that, the bluenette's eyes slowly opened.

"Hey there," Max greeted softly.

The blue-haired rebel yawned, eyes blinking several times in quick succession. "Ugh, what time is it?"

That was a good question. "I have no clue."

"Guess it doesn't matter much," Chloe muttered, shifting closer to Max. "Not like I want to rush this. We'll have lots of time soon, I hope."

"I think I've had my quota for near death experiences, so we should be good for a while," Max added jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

The bluenette gave her a smirk. "If you use that logic, I should be good for a few lifetimes over."

Max leaned in for a kiss, Chloe meeting her part way. This all seemed like some lovely dream, totally detached from their hectic, life-threatening mission. Like they were leading a double life. A respite they both needed. If only this moment could last forever. If they managed to succeed in their mission, maybe it could. After a few seconds they broke apart, heads resting back on the mattress, hands intertwining.

Chloe's lip curled up into a smile as she looked at the woman beside her. "When I first met you, I really didn't expect to be here. I mean, I thought you were cute and was down for it, but I was still half-expecting to end up with a knife at my throat."

"I guess you found that exciting, knowing you," Max added with a smirk.

"I might have," Chloe replied noncommittally. "I'm also very glad it didn't happen that way."

"Me too." If Max had gone through with the hit, she would have lost out on so much. Worse still, she wouldn't have even known what she was missing.

Noticing the sudden shift in expression, Chloe gave her a squeeze. "Don't look so sad. I'm never leaving you."

Max clicked her fingers with mock disappointment. "Damn, there goes my plans to dine and dash."

"You know you'll be back," Chloe stated confidently, kissing her forehead. "I'm just too irresistible to leave alone."

Unable to keep up the charade, Max allowed herself a grin. "Okay, you got me."

They would have to go back soon, return to the fight, but for now they just enjoyed this moment for what it was: a chance to breathe, to leave no regrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Join me next time for the penultimate chapter. The word 'showdown' comes to mind.


	24. Weather the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this is the penultimate chapter. Finally got there! Enjoy the showdown. Will the group be able to defy the odds and stop Jefferson, or will they fall at the last hurdle? Read on to find out.

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Weather the Storm**

**Two Week Later**

Max and the others had gathered all the people they could to fight and pooled their resources. Surprisingly, they had a decent amount to play with. Wren managed to get in touch with his and Wraith's mom, Blaire – something his sister wasn't best pleased about. The two argued like there was no tomorrow, both aggressively tenacious. Wren had to physically pull them apart once or twice with Ash's help. As much as they might fight, Blaire had provided them with invaluable resources. Being a ruthless assassin had its benefits.

Kate's resistance contact was keen to help and knew some other smaller groups who were willing to participate in the final push. The Chase Network and Watchdog were still around, working from the shadows more than ever before. Both groups had gathered more people and resources, some voluntary and others through blackmail. Verge had a few strings left to pull as well. As for Rachel, well, she knew a _lot_ of people, and most hated PresCorp with a vengeance.

Chloe too had a few contacts she had yet to use, same with Max. Since they hadn't been one-hundred percent ready, there were still options. Some people in the settlements also promised to lend their aid in various capacities. The bluenette had also been busy on the Punk Pirate forums and been in touch with her people on the inside, gathering any information she could on PresCorp HQ's layout, guard patrols, and defenses. Max helped her, having been in the building once before.

When they had prepared as much as they possibly could, they planned to move out at nightfall. They would be directly targeting Jefferson, the head of the company. If he fell, the rest would hopefully follow. They had pinned down his location in District One. He rarely left his office, too many nefarious schemes to plan it seemed. The building was heavy fortified and guarded, especially after their distraction attempt. It would be tough, but somehow they would get that sick fucker.

Verge were suiting up, checking weapons and setting up their communication links. They had done a lot of missions, this being the largest. Trying to take down a corporate giant like PresCorp was no easy feat. Many had tried and failed, they already had one foiled attempt under their belts. They probably couldn't bounce back from another one. At least it seemed like the virus they had uploaded to PresCorp's synth system was still around, weakened but viable, a small victory. Thankfully, the distraction attempt had worked, drawing attention predominantly to other warehouse storage spaces. Whether it would stay that way much longer or not… that was debatable.

Victoria was making the final preparations with the Chase Network and Watchdog, making sure they were fully co-ordinated. It hadn't helped them much last time, but preparing was all they could do. They had gathered together every possible resource and person to fight. Without the right deployment, they would fall at the first hurdle. Kate too was preparing, ensuring she had a stocked medical inventory. People _would_ get hurt this time, and a lot of them. She would have her work cut out. At least she had help this time. Alecto was busy mixing a few useful concoctions, anything to help the effort. Her role in Verge had been more supportive than offensive, although she was handy with a knife and pistol.

As for Max, she was also getting her weapons and other essentials packed up. Ever since getting hit with that drug, her cybernetically enhanced eye had been playing up. Maybe because of the fall she had taken. It was better now after some calibrations but still wasn't quite right. Wraith had helped tide her over for the time being. They didn't have the time or equipment to get it fixed properly. Chloe was in the same room, also prepping for their big showdown. Ever since reuniting, the pair had been inseparable. Nobody could blame them.

"So, ready to move out?" the bluenette asked, done with her own last checks.

The young mercenary took hold of her hand, giving it a light squeeze. "So long as you are."

"I'm always ready to rock," Chloe stated confidently.

"Are you nervous?" Max asked, feeling uneasy herself.

"Me, nervous? Nah. I've got you by my side," the blue-haired punk replied, throwing her arm around her partner's shoulder and giving her cheek a kiss for luck.

Max rolled her eyes. "That was _so_ cheesy."

Chloe grinned at her. "Says you. And besides, you know you love it."

Once they were all ready and night was about to fall, they moved out. This was it, their last chance. Getting to District One from District Nine was not an easy task, especially now Jefferson knew people were after him. Between them, they had a good overview of the vast city, knew a few shortcuts. Before long, they had made it to their destination and immediately got into position. There was no time to lose.

Kate and Alecto remained in the background, waiting to provide assistance. Wraith got to work disabling the security features and cameras, giving them a fighting chance. Once that was done, Ash, Max, and Rica – the stealthiest members of the group – got to work taking out the outside patrol. They had to do this quickly and quietly. This wasn't the first time the trio had worked like this. While this was happening, Wren started putting up his own defenses to both protect their position and provide an offensive force with Axel's help, not to mention the other people they had managed to pick up. Chloe looked through a sniper sight, watching the three women systematically take out the guards. She was taken aback when she saw someone she recognized.

"Rachel…" she whispered when she spotted her friend entering the building. The blonde hacker's eyes were empty and emotionless. There was something really… off about her now. "What the fuck?"

Wraith got a better look at the scene below. On spotting Rachel, she turned to the blue-haired punk, giving her a sympathetic look. "Ah, shit. Those bastards have done something to her. The virus is still ready to go. It'll take some time to activate but if we can hold out until then, she'll go back to normal pretty much."

"Pretty much?" the bluenette pressed, sounding increasingly worried.

With a sigh, the older woman replied softly. "I can't guarantee there won't be complications – a bit like brain damage. I might be able to fix it post virus. Maybe."

Not liking that possibility, Chloe stared at her now incapacitated friend. This was… horrible. "Is there no other way?"

"I wish there was," Wraith whispered sadly. "We don't have another way right now and the longer we leave her, the worse she'll get. Her control chip, it's high-end stuff. You could cut it out, but… that might make it even worse since we're doing it in a rush."

"Fuck," fingers ran through blue hair," fine, we do it your way."

After the initial setup, they regrouped to do final checks.

"Okay, we're basically locked and loaded here," Wraith announced. The virus would take a while to spread from synth to synth and would be obvious on final activation. This gave them some time to get started on their assault and clear out a few threats.

"Defenses have been deployed alongside some drones and turrets in case backup is called," Wren added, finishing up his work.

"The nearest PresCorp facility is a ten-minute drive from here," Victoria clarified. "We've set up some road blocks and other deterrents just in case. That will delay reinforcements."

"Outside's clear," Ash confirmed.

Scanning the building, Max was able to see the guards in the lobby and first three floors. With the damage to her eye, the range was limited. "There are several guards in the lobby area, more on other floors. The elevator is on lockdown, guess it'll have to be the stairs."

"Or we scale the building," Rica suggested, "but then we risk getting seen from inside. Stairs is probably a safer bet. Longer, but less chance of getting noticed."

"Okay, stairs it is," Wraith agreed with the rest consenting to the plan. "Stay safe and vigilant everyone."

Two small teams were organized to enter the building. The first group was made up of Axel and Ash, the second Chloe and Max – one stealth and one heavy fighter per team. Between them, they would clear out each floor before moving up. Jefferson's office was right at the top of the skyscraper, so they had to move quickly. The rest of the group would wait in the wings, keeping an eye on the outside and ready to advance if needed.

The infiltration teams snuck into the lobby, swiftly and diligently taking out the guards. They hid the bodies out of sight before moving up. Between them, they made light work of the first ten floors, each time using Max's cybernetic enhanced eye to plot the threat. As they got closer to the top, the less accurate her scanning became. She really needed to fix her eye. They got all the way to the twenty-fifth floor before they ran into trouble. Electra and the rest of Vortex were also patrolling, and they were much harder to get the jump on than regular guards. Not only that, but there were increasingly more synths, all armed and heavily armored.

"Shit, guys this might turn ugly very soon," Max reported back, preparing them all for a fight.

"BLUE PHANTOM is nearly ready to go," Wraith confirmed confidently. "Had to work around some new security, of course. Nothing's ever simple – well, it would be if Rachel was here."

Wren too chipped in with his status. "I have primed all defenses ready."

With those reassurances, the two teams moved up when Electra and her minions had left the floor. Somehow, they managed to make it through the next few floors without incident. They were close to the top now, around ten or so floors away from Jefferson's office. Along the way, the four of them had been dropping some of Wren's smaller mounted remote turrets, just in case the place got swarmed. They also had stuck a few smaller dormant explosives on the outer side of several floors, which would create some possible escape routes to rappel down from in a pinch.

They stopped when they were five floors from the top, Vortex occupying the remaining floors up to Jefferson's office. This was crunch time.

"Here comes the hard part," Axel whispered.

Ash's face darkened, voice low. "Electra will pay for what she's done to us. So will Mark Jefferson."

Max and Chloe shared a glance, knowing that this was the most dangerous part of the operation. Stealth wouldn't really be an option now. In all likelihood, they would be found and all hell would break loose. They had to give it a try, though. Worryingly, they seemed to have lost contact with the others somewhere on the way up. They were on their own.

Chloe gave Max a brief kiss for luck. "Let's do this."

They pressed ahead, managing to take out a few more adversaries quietly. Their stealth approach didn't last much longer, Electra and the rest of Vortex blocking their path.

Electra stepped forward, grinning. "Ah, so glad you could all join us. We've noticed you sneaking around for a while now."

Ash glared at the other woman, clenching her fists. "You're going _down_."

Shaking her head, Electra waved away her threat. "I don't think so."

Glancing at Max and Chloe, Ash made a decision. "Go on ahead. I'll deal with this bitch."

"Ouch, that's not very nice. Guess being hostile runs in the family. And here I was thinking you were better than Alecto. Does our friendship mean nothing to you?" In the early days, when Vortex and Verge hadn't been at each other's throats, she and Ash had been close. A few conflicts of interest had ended that messily.

"Fuck you," Ash growled, glaring at her.

Axel stayed behind to help her while Chloe and Max continued up to Jefferson's office. They had a few Vortex lackeys to take out on the way. When they reached the door, they got to work trying to break through. Without Wraith available, it was difficult but they managed eventually.

Jefferson turned to face them as they entered the office, spreading out his arms in welcome. "Ah, I've been expecting you. What an honor to get a visit from both Camera Eye _and_ the Punk Pirate, all in one day."

"Oh, you're going down, fucker," Chloe growled through gritted teeth, ready to pounce.

"I think not." He clicked his fingers, someone stepping out from the shadows, someone they knew.

"Rach…" Before Chloe could say anything else, she was knocked to her feet by the blonde synth. Max went over to help her, getting hit back with immense force. She got to her feet as soon as possible, her eye even more messed up now, her arm too. Not that it mattered. All that mattered was protecting Chloe and getting rid of Jefferson, in that order.

"Max, I got this! Get that bastard before he escapes!" Chloe shouted as she struggled to keep Rachel occupied. "Now!"

Hesitating for just a moment, Max followed Jefferson. He had climbed to the roof, waiting for evac. There was no way she could let him escape. When she got to the roof, she could see him. Rage pumped through her veins, fuelling her desire to rip him apart.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jefferson warned, pointing a gun directly at her face, his other hand holding a small remote. "Pressing this will issue a self-destruct command for a certain synth you know. Considering who she's fighting, both of them will go down in flames."

Her hands tied, Max gritted her teeth. Could she shoot him before he pushed that button? It was a fifty-fifty chance. With her eye the way it was, her aim was totally off focus. Not only that but her robotic arm, the one she used to keep her shot steady, had been damaged getting thrown against the wall by Rachel. The odds were against her.

"That's it," he added in a patronizing tone. "We don't need to fight."

"You killed my parents, nearly killed me and so many others," Max spat back, frustrated by all this. She had to keep him talking, distract him.

"It's all business," he replied callously. "This endless cycle of vengeance isn't good for your health."

"Fuck you."

"Come now, we can at least be civil about this. If you can't… BOOM!" He waved the self-destruct remote in his hand, threatening. "Now, wait there like a good girl and I might let you live."

Below, Max could hear the faint sound of fighting. Backup had arrived and the others were working hard to keep them off the building. She hoped they were all okay. They had to be. Communications had been cut off, so she had no way of knowing how the others were fairing. Had the virus been deployed? Was Ash holding her own against Electra? What about Chloe and Rachel? So many questions with no answers.

She heard something behind her but didn't dare look. Jefferson didn't need a reason to fuck with her. It didn't take long for her to find out what the noise had been, though. "Ah, Rachel, I assume you've finished up."

"I have," she replied, sounding cold and emotionless as she approached him. Now Max could get a better look at Rachel, she noticed one of two gaps in the blonde synth's skin, exposing the metal framework. No denying it, she was _definitely_ a synth.

A wave of panic and despair passed over Max, her body shaking. If Rachel was here, then… then… It was all a lie. It _had_ to be. She wanted to go down to see, she needed to know. When she went to move, Jefferson fired a single shot that hit her in the leg. She fell to the floor, screaming out in pain.

"I didn't say you could move," he mentioned in a calm voice like he was simply telling a child off for eating a cookie before dinner.

The next few seconds seemed to happen in slow motion. Just as Jefferson was about to give Rachel the order to finish Max off, he crumpled to the floor. His body convulsed like he had received a brain frying electric shock. The young mercenary was just as shocked as he was. Rachel turned to face her, the glazed over eyes instantly shifting to the default mischief.

"What…?" Max began, lost for words.

Noting her speechlessness, Rachel explained the situation. "Chloe's fine. BLUE PHANTOM kicked in while we were fighting, not a moment too soon either. She's a little beat up, but alive. I've been playing along the rest of the time. Good acting, right?" Max was dumbfounded, trying to process everything that had just happened. A flicker of guilt crossed Rachel's face as her eyes settled on the blood dripping from Max's leg. "Oh, and sorry about the leg. The virus has majorly slowed down my response time and I had to wait for the right time to strike."

"Honestly, this is nothing," Max muttered, wincing from the pain. "Could've been _much_ worse."

"I've just got to take care of him, then we can go." Rachel approached his crumpled body, crouching down. "Surprise, bitch. You deserve a much more painful death than the one I'm about to give you, so consider yourself lucky." True to her word, the blonde synth fired a single gunshot into his head, blood pooling.

Once the deed had been done, she turned back to Max and helped her to her feet. "Let's get out of here." Max winced as she put too much weight on her injured leg, immediately shifting it. "I guess my secret's obvious now," Rachel began as she helped guide the young mercenary to safety. "I'm a synth, as the lovely gaping gashes prove."

"Yeah, I already know. Chloe confirmed it." One thing still puzzled Max. "Why didn't Axel trust you? You guys escaped together, right?"

Shifting Max's body weight, Rachel explained. "We hadn't seen each other in a while, it's natural to be suspicious. We both were under PresCorp's control once, who's to say it couldn't happen again? It wasn't personal."

When they made it back down to Jefferson's office, Chloe was waiting. Rachel hadn't been kidding when she said the bluenette had been slapped around. She had a black eye, various bruises and cuts on her face and a split lip. That was just the visible injuries.

Despite that, she still managed to smile when she saw them coming, grimacing slightly. "Sho glad yur back."

Max winced just looking at her injuries. "Damn, Rachel you really did a number on her."

"Bish held back when we play fough," Chloe slurred, spitting out some blood onto the no doubt expensive rug.

Rachel grinned, watching her get to her feet. "I didn't want to bust that pretty face of yours."

The three of them began the long descent downstairs. Along the way, Ash and Axel joined them having dealt with Electra and her thugs.

"Holy shit, you guys look terrible," Ash muttered, looking concerned. She didn't look much better, neither did Axel, who had several points of exposed metal where artificial skin had once been – the most obvious being the entire right-hand side of his face, singed around the edges. He and Rachel shared a silent nod.

"S'okay. Worsh than it looksh," Chloe managed with difficulty.

"Kate will patch you up in no time," Max reassured as they continued their way down.

When they reached the bottom floor, it looked like a war zone. Debris littered the now crater filled streets. The second they exited the building, they were swarmed by the rest of the group, Kate and Alecto in particular. All of them were battered and bruised, Wren now sporting a bandage across his right eye and Rica having a few more scars and bruises to add to the already colorful tapestry on her face.

Despite the odds, somehow they had made it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a few injuries but they survived! One last chapter left – the epilogue. Join me next time for the conclusion.


	25. Epilogue: Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have the final chapter. It's been awesome writing this and I hope you have enjoyed it, too. Here's a short epilogue to round everything up.

**Epilogue: Aftermath**

It would take months before Neo-Seattle started to feel even partially detached from PresCorp's reign of terror. So many people had died, so much destruction, that the aftermath would be felt long after the company's CEO, Mark Jefferson, had been taken care of. The power vacuum was quickly filled by a sympathetic citizen of District Three, one who already had a claim to the PresCorp company and an old friend of Victoria's. In fact, his right to the CEO position was higher than Jefferson's had ever been, having an additional familial link to the company. Nathan Prescott, the son of the previous CEO. Jefferson had paid and blackmailed his way into becoming the successor to the company, silencing Nathan under pain of death.

Many complained about the appointment, particularly those in Districts One and Two who believe they deserved the overseer job by fact of social rank and wealth. Many had benefitted under Jefferson and were not happy to see their interests ignored and denied. Despite their complaints, they never managed to organize a successful coup. A few tried, and failed miserably. There were just as many, if not more, who were glad to see the appointment, even more so when Victoria's media contact published the full extent of Jefferson's deeds. It was a long and vile list of crimes indeed.

A council was created shortly after the initial clean up, made up of nine representatives – one from each district – with Nathan at the head. They were appointed to express the needs and demands of each district, leading to a collective debate and a verdict. The first few months were a struggle, each district representative refusing to compromise. Higher districts were more resistance to cooperation. After many verbal insults and a few near fights, Nathan took charge and threatened to have them all replaced or bypass them immediately in his decisions, which seemed to do the trick. After that point, they seemed much more willing to debate calmly. A huge renovation project was underway, as agreed by all parties.

As for Verge, the group remained active under government guidance. Their role was an official peacekeeping force, the leading one in fact. Wraith and Wren properly reunited with their mother. The reunion was not smooth by any means, Wraith and her mother at each other's throats constantly at the beginning. Eventually, with Wren and his father acting peacekeeper, they settled down and actually started talking without shouting. That alone was a miracle within itself. Wraith introduced Ash to her mother for the first time, announcing that they would be getting married in the next month. After everything they had been through, now seemed like the best time. Defying expectation, her mother was very supportive of the match.

Axel, having publically outed himself as a synth, helped the synth rights movement to get off the ground. While he remained a quiet man, his behind the scenes work did wonders for the minority group. Rica was eager to lend her support to the man she saw as a brother, adding a loud voice to the movement. The council eventually agreed to pass an act formally declaring synths as citizens, giving them access to all the rights they deserved. Rachel too gave him a hand from time to time, acting as the charismatic speaker at various rallies and demonstrations. She had always loved the spotlight and this was a cause she could get behind. The biggest surprise of all, the blonde hacker actually committed to something for the first time in her life – Victoria Chase. The pair moved in together soon after Neo-Seattle was on the mend.

Victoria continued to direct the Chase Network, who often collaborated with Watchdog under governmental order. Their main job was to ensure a peaceful transition from Jefferson to Nathan, highlighting threats and security measures. As for her assassin days, they were mostly behind her. Sometimes, she did miss the thrill of the hunt. She soon learned to get her kicks other ways, something Rachel was all too happy to help with. They were an odd pair and yet somehow it worked. It was a complete mystery.

Kate Marsh set up an official clinic, tending to the wounds of any who wished to use her services. With her assistant, Simone, and many others, she managed to establish one in each district, backed up by the overseer. An official health care system was organized, with Kate as the leading creator. Her younger sister, Lynn, helped out where she could, gradually learning the ropes. Even though she was young, she caught on quickly. With someone like Kate at the helm, success was guaranteed. She also helped establish various orphanages and shelters across the vast city for those who needed it, alongside a relief and work program. Anything related to public health or relief programs, she would be involved somehow.

Max and Chloe remained at each other's sides after the incident. Similarly to Rachel and Victoria, they moved in together. Much to everyone's surprise, they chose a rundown house in District Nine. Apparently, it had some importance to them both, Chloe especially. Now they had the time, they held a private funeral for their parents with Chloe's mother, Joyce, attending. Needless to say, the older woman was delighted to meet Max for the first time and gave the pair her fullest blessing. Of course, Wraith and Ash gave their immediate approval as well. From target to lover, Chloe and Max had one hell of a ride to get here and they didn't waste a second of the time they had together.

They often met up with the old gang, taking full advantage of their newfound freedom. Max helped her friends out, sometimes working alongside Verge in their public peacekeeping role, other time assisting Kate and occasionally giving Victoria a hand. Her role was to act as a liaison, help co-ordinate all the different government groups emerging. Chloe had become even more of a local celebrity and had taken up street art as a hobby. This caused no end of trouble but somehow she managed to get away with it. She stood watchful for more uppity assholes to show a lesson to, giving them a run for their money via pranks. With PresCorp's collapse, very few wanted to draw attention to themselves and encourage her wrath. She kept her identity as the Punk Pirate as a secret to the general public, upholding the mystery.

There were still many problems with the world, both old and new, but positive change was just on the horizon. One thing was for certain, they all deserved it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there we have it. I might add some bonus chapters or something for this at some point, I've not decided yet. We'll see what happens over the summer. For now, consider it complete.
> 
> If you liked this story, you may also like: 'Til Life Do Us Part (complete, Grim Reaper AU), My Strange Gift (complete, Beyond Two Souls crossover) and Sleeping Dogs (ongoing, post-canon sac!Arcadia with other power users included). These three are all Pricefield, with some original characters and plot worked in for good measure. Obviously, give my other works a check too if you haven't already. There's a lot there because I'm an obsessive uber-gay LIS nerd :p
> 
> Thanks for joining me on this journey, for leaving all your comment, kudos, reviews etc. (it's always nice to see people enjoying stories and stuff) and I hope to see you again soon. There will no doubt be new content on the way shortly.
> 
> Olivia (aka Nothing You Can Prove)


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